Mayor Ferguson's "Rainbow" cabinet
Bristol Mayor George Ferguson has announced his new cabinet, which now features members from four political parties.
Bristol City Council under fire
A survey has shown that Bristol City Council is the second highest user in the country of so-called 'gagging orders' on staff.
Welfare Reform Act: Changes to Housing Benefit
From April 1 2012 major changes will be made to the benefits system. And 2 million people will face a 25% cut in housing support.
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Polls now open for council elections
Polls have opened for council elections in our region.
People in Bristol, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Somerset will decide who runs our big councils for the next four years.
Local elections could be the least predictable in years
by Prof Colin Rallings, Plymouth University
ITV News elections analyst Professor Colin Rallings says Labour will make gains in the local elections, but there will be surprises too.
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UKIP surge to 22% of vote in latest ComRes Poll
A ComRes Poll for The Coalition for Marriage released on Tuesday night suggested that UKIP could win a staggering 22% of the vote.
Read the full storyFarage: Alex Wood sacked 'quite wrongly'
– UKIP leader Nigel FarageI am in absolutely no doubt at all that that photograph of Alex Wood was nothing to do with a Nazi gesture. He was literally reaching across the pub to pull the camera away from a girlfriend who was photographing him and I have witness statements that support that. I am very angry that a 21-year-old was sacked from his job quite wrongly because of what was said in a national newspaper.
Farage: candidate is reaching for mobile in photo
A UKIP local election candidate for Somerset pictured making a supposed Nazi-style salute was in fact trying to grab a camera from his girlfriend, party leader Nigel Farage has said.
Mr Farage said he believed the explanation given by Alex Wood for the photo which appeared on the front of the Daily Mirror.
But Mr Wood, 21, remains suspended while police investigate his claims offensive comments added to the picture were made by other people after his account was "hijacked", a Ukip spokesman said.
Calls for parish debate over 'eyesore' glass house
A glass house embedded in a hill in Batcombe, near Shepton Mallet, has caused such concern that villagers have called for a parish council debate.
Residents say the house is an eyesore and was granted planning permission against their opposition.
Mendip District Council say they've followed up on complaints from residents by visiting the site but no other action is needed.
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Mcdonald's submit third planning application for restaurant in Somerset village
McDonald's has submitted a third planning application for an outlet in the Somerset village of Farrington Gurney.
Residents are against the plans with objections including road safety and environmental damage.
Bath & North East Somerset council has rejected the application once already, while McDonald's withdrawn on a second occasion after a planning officer said it would be refused.
Racist, homophobic and fascist views 'disgust me'
When Alex Wood, the suspended UKIP candidate for Blackmore Vale in the county elections for Somerset, was asked whether he was raising his hand in an alleged "Nazi" salute as was pictured on the front page of a newspaper, he said the photo had been misconstrued.
He said: "No I am not. The pictures that have appeared of me have been taken from a private Facebook account. These are not what they seem to be. First of all, the supposed salute was my left hand reaching for my friend's mobile phone.
He added: "She has made a statement which clears up the meaning of them.
"These statements are completely untrue, my Facebook has been hacked, this matter is being dealt with by the police."
He denied he has ever held any extreme right view.
He said: "Absolutely not. I see myself as a democratic libertarian. Racist, homophobic and fascists views absolutely disgust me. I am completely against such views. These statements are not mine."
UKIP Leader: if candidate is an extremist "we'll get rid of him"
Ukip leader Nigel Farage MEP says the party will "get rid" of an already suspended Somerset candidate if they find he has extremist views.
Alex Wood has denied being a racist after pictures emerged of him apparently making a Nazi salute on Facebook.
Alex Wood explains controversial pictures
Suspended UKIP candidate, Alex Wood, explains the story behind the controversial photos that have surfaced from his Facebook page.
