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This is where you can find my thoughts on what our politicians are up to in the West of England
06:00 UK time, Tuesday, 23 October 2012
Paul added analysis to:
The views of voters provide reassurance and a challenge to Bristol's would-be mayors.
The survey's results mirror the council's own spending priorities: by far the biggest share goes on social services, ranging from looking after elderly and disabled residents to protecting children. But while the public recognise the importance of this, they may not grasp the difficulties presented.
12:20 UK time, Friday, 19 October 2012
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There'll be plenty on the plate of Wiltshire's first ever police and crime commissioner after November's election. Near the top of the list will be appointing a chief constable. The present incumbent, Pat Geenty, is in temporary charge for a year. He'd like the job permanently but the new commissioner will have to make his or her own choice within months.
And then there's money. Funding is falling by £15m over a four-year period. The challenge that brings was highlighted by a recent survey of Wiltshire police staff. It indicated morale was low, with many officers believing there weren't enough of them to get the job done.
17:53 UK time, Wednesday, 18 July 2012
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This is a legal battle that has no real winners.
North Somerset Council are enormously relieved that their cuts programme has not been derailed, but it's cost them an estimated £65,000.
15:27 UK time, Wednesday, 13 June 2012
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Ending up in court is always tough for a council, even if they win. North Somerset's lawyers have spent weeks working on the case, with costs likely to run to tens of thousands of pounds.
The law itself is complex. Three barristers presented evidence relating to both the Equalities Act 2010 and education legislation. The judge will take some weeks to decide whether the council erred in the way it acted. What disheartens councillors is that he won't pay much attention to their financial difficulties.
15:25 UK time, Thursday, 26 April 2012
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She's been in charge through some troubled times - even within her own party.
Barbara Janke is proud of her record leading the Liberal Democrats, increasing their councillors, and winning the party overall control of the city.
14:10 UK time, Thursday, 26 April 2012
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The last time there was an election for all the seats on Swindon Borough Council, the ruling party lost control. That was in 2000, and it was Labour who took a battering as the Conservatives made enormous gains.
This time it's the other way round - and the Tories hope history doesn't repeat itself. They've presently got a comfortable majority, but boundary changes, and reducing the number of councillors by two to 57, forces them into an all-out election at a difficult time.
11:08 UK time, Wednesday, 21 March 2012
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"A disaster in the making" was how one senior Conservative described it. He and his cabinet colleagues may lose their positions (and their pay); they're so angry they could just walk away from power, leaving Labour and the Lib Dems to grasp the nettle.
Rule by cabinets is pretty modern: councils were pushed towards it by the last government, which regarded the committee system as slow and ineffective.
15:03 UK time, Wednesday, 22 February 2012
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They had faced months of pressure and protests, but North Somerset councillors did not shy away from making yet another round of painful cuts.
The council's ruling Conservatives have complained repeatedly that they get a raw deal from government funding, while reminding residents that council tax level is lower than many of their neighbours.
19:36 UK time, Wednesday, 7 September 2011
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His £183,000 salary had faced criticism from the start. There was more controversy in May 2011 when it emerged he was due to get a £6,000 increase.
After initially defending it, Andrew Kerr yielded to pressure and cancelled his rise, accepting it looked bad when other staff were losing their jobs.
13:15 UK time, Friday, 17 June 2011
Could the government be about to perform another U-turn, this time over controversial plans to cull badgers?
An intriguing insight into the difficulties facing a minister who's long called for culling was provided in this revealing interview by my Politics Show colleague Martyn Oates.
09:11 UK time, Sunday, 5 June 2011
In the rural West country, residents have long complained that their way of life is under threat. And it seems changing the politicians in charge makes little difference.
Three years ago I visited the village of Kingsdon in South Somerset to report on one village's struggle against closures.
09:48 UK time, Thursday, 19 May 2011
Welcome to my new page on the BBC News website.
Here, in one place, you'll be able to find all my latest updates on politics in the West of England - plus analysis and a selection of my TV reports.
Paul began working for the BBC in 1992 and has specialised in politics since 1999.
Election are always highlights in his working life - "it's the day of reckoning when politicians can get their come-uppance from the public".
"Last year's General Election was amazing, both for the rollercoaster of a ride we went on with the opinion polls, and for the result which has propelled us into new and intriguingly uncharted political waters".
He has lived in Bristol since 1989.
Martyn Oates
Political editor, South West
A take on South West politics from Portland to Penzance
Patrick Burns
Political editor, Midlands
Analysis and thoughts on politics in the Midlands
Andrew Neil
Daily and Sunday Politics
People and policies that make Westminster tick
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