'Lose a little' advice on obesity

28 May 2014 Last updated at 01:52 By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News

New weight loss guidelines for the NHS in England will advise people to "lose a little and keep it off" for life.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) wants overweight people sent to slimming classes with the aim of a 3% weight loss.

NICE said even such a small loss - probably of just a few pounds - would cut blood pressure and reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes and some cancers.

Two in three adults in England are overweight - with a BMI higher than 25.

Someone weighing 15st 10lb would need to lose just over six pounds to cut their weight by 3%.

If they were 5ft 7in, their BMI would drop from 35 to 33. Anyone with a BMI of more than 30 is classed as obese.

'Difficult'

Prof Mike Kelly, the director of the centre for public health at NICE, said the guidelines were about lifelong change rather than yo-yo dieting, when the weight is piled back on after initial success.

He said that required achievable goals: "We would like to offer an instant solution and a quick win, a much greater ambition if you like, but realistically it's important to bear in mind this is difficult.

"It is not just a question of 'for goodness' sake pull yourself together and lose a stone' - it doesn't work like that.

"People find it difficult to do - it's not something you can just wake up one morning and decide I'm going to lose 10 pounds, it takes resolve, it takes encouragement."

Obesity statistics

• One in four adults in England are obese
• A further 42% of men are classed as overweight
• The figure for women in 32%
• A BMI of 30-35 cuts life expectancy by up to four years
• A BMI of 40 or more cuts life expectancy by up to 10 years
• Obesity costs the NHS £5.1bn every year

Source: National Institute of Health and Care Excellence

BBC News: Where are you on the global fat scale?

Gill Fine, a public health nutritionist who led the team devising the guidelines, said a sustained 3% drop in weight would alter the trajectory of ever-expanding waistlines.

She commented: "If people think they've got to lose over a stone, they don't lose a stone and they get disheartened and they go back up - that isn't going to help them.

"But if they can just lose a little bit, keep that weight off then that is going to give them a health benefit."

The guidance for the NHS in England said weight-management programmes should:

• Tackle diet, physical activity and change behaviour
• Be focused on lifelong change not short-term gains
• Last at least three months, but set target weights for the end of the programme and after one year
• Plan to reduce calorie intake, but not ban specific foods or food groups
• Introduce physical activity into daily life such as walking
• Be respectful and non-judgemental

This would include some established NHS programmes as well as private businesses including Rosemary Conley, Slimming World and Weight Watchers.

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Dr Tony Goldstone, an obesity expert at London's Hammersmith Hospital, explains what fat is

Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, told the BBC the guidelines did not go far enough and looked like a "brave attempt to close the stable door whilst the horse is still bolting".

He commented: "A 3% reduction may well have some health benefit - every little helps - but if the patient is obese at the beginning of the course he or she will probably still be obese by its end.

"At least a 5% weight loss, and preferably one of 10%, have been weight reduction targets in past years and they still should be today.

"NICE should be going for the clinical excellence that it's proud of and not the compromise it has suggested."

Analysis

By James Gallagher, BBC health and science reporter

If you are looking for a solution to the obesity epidemic, this is not it. At least not on its own.

Obesity is an area of public health where there are no quick fixes.

During interviews, Prof Mike Kelly from NICE made repeated comparisons with smoking.

Weight-loss programmes are akin to smoking-cessation services, but they don't stop people smoking or getting fat in the first place.

Prof Kelly said there was a need to "get a grip on the obesogenic environment".

"You can walk down a High Street anywhere in England and you are surrounded by cheap, energy- dense calories and that is obviously part of the problem."

Prof John Ashton, the president of the Faculty of Public Health, said obesity was a major health issue.

He added: "These are just the first steps. If tackling obesity were as simple as telling people they should eat less and move more, we would not have a problem now.

"Individuals need to play their part, but this guidance acts as a reminder that we also need bold action now from government to reduce the huge costs of treating obesity.

"Stronger more effective policy interventions are also needed, which is why we support piloting a sugar duty, to see how successful it will be."

Sir Richard Thompson, the president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: "The majority of Britain is expected to be obese by 2050.

"NICE's new guidance will help encourage greater co-ordination of services and provide the support that medical professionals need to deliver high-quality prevention and obesity management services."

Have you succeeded or struggled in losing body weight? Has your body weight gone up and down regularly following dieting? Has medical guidance helped you? You can email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'Weight loss'.

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Google to build self-driving cars

28 May 2014 Last updated at 03:00 By Jack Stewart BBC World Service Radio, Los Angeles

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Google exhibits its new self-driving cars

Google is to start building its own self-driving cars, rather than modifying vehicles built by other manufacturers.

The car will have a stop-go button but no controls, steering wheel or pedals.

Pictures of the Google vehicle show it looks like a city car with a "friendly" face, designed to make it seem non-threatening and help people accept self-driving technology.

Co-founder Sergey Brin revealed the plans at a conference in California.

"We're really excited about this vehicle - it's something that will allow us to really push the capabilities of self driving technology, and understand the limitations," said Chris Urmson, director of the company's self-driving project.

He added that the cars had the ability to "improve people's lives by transforming mobility".

But some researchers working in this field are investigating potential downsides to driverless car technology.

They believe they could make traffic and urban sprawl worse, as people accept longer commutes as they do not have to drive themselves.

Flexible windscreen

The BBC was given access to the Google team to talk about the secret project, and see early renderings of the car.

It looks almost cartoon-like, it has no traditional bonnet at the front, and the wheels are pushed to the corners.

It will seat two people, propulsion will be electric, and at the start it will be limited to 25mph (40km/h) to help ensure safety.

The most significant thing about the design is that it does not have any controls, apart from a stop/go button.

For early testing, extra controls will be fitted so one of Google's test drivers can take over if there is a problem.

The controls will simply plug in, and Mr Urmson believes that over time, as confidence in the technology grows, they will be removed entirely.

The front end of the vehicle is designed to be safer for pedestrians, with a soft foam-like material where a traditional bumper would be, and a more flexible windscreen, which may help reduce injuries.

The vehicle will use a combination of laser and radar sensors along with camera data to drive autonomously.

It will depend on Google's road maps, built specifically for the programme, and tested on the company's current fleet of vehicles.

Ready in a year

Google recently announced that its self driving cars had covered 700,000 miles of public roads in autonomous mode, and that they were now tackling the tricky problem of busy city streets.

The company plans to build a fleet of around 200 of the cars in Detroit, with the hope of using them as an autonomous technology test bed.

"We'll see these vehicles on the road within the year," says Mr Urmson.

Advocates claim that autonomous cars have the potential to revolutionise transport, by making roads safer, eliminating crashes, and decreasing congestion and pollution. In the year to June 2013, more than 23,500 people were killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents in the UK, according to government figures.

Ron Medford, previously the deputy director of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and now the safety director for the self-driving car team at Google, believes that number could be drastically reduced by removing the chance of driver error.

"I think it has the potential to be the most important safety technology that the auto industry has ever seen," he said.

But Sven Beiker, executive director of the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford, cautions that driverless cars may still require human input in extreme circumstances and that people may forget how to operate their vehicles if they do not do it regularly.

This could be particularly dangerous in an emergency situation where the computer does not know how to react, and asks for input from a human who may not have been paying attention, he warned.

"You will not be able to fiddle around looking for the instruction manual in the glove box that you've never looked at before," he said.

He equates it to people who drive automatics forgetting how to easily drive a car with a manual gearbox.

Listeners in the UK can hear more on the potential of driverless cars on Frontiers on BBC Radio 4 on Wed 4 June.

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Leaders agree to review EU policies

28 May 2014 Last updated at 10:49

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Herman Van Rompuy: "The European Council... must give clear guidance"

EU leaders have agreed to re-evaluate the bloc's agenda after voters "sent a strong message", European Council President Herman Van Rompuy has said.

Mr Van Rompuy said leaders of the 28 member states had asked him to launch consultations on future policies.

He was speaking after a meeting in Brussels to discuss big election gains by populist and far-right parties.

The results of the European Parliament election led to calls for an EU rethink by those leaders who suffered defeats.

But despite gains by anti-EU groups, pro-European parties still won most votes overall.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The election result has sapped confidence. That was apparent when they met for Tuesday's informal dinner. They were men and women who had lost some of their certainty. "

End Quote

Tuesday's summit was the first opportunity for leaders of all member states to discuss the way forward after last week's polls.

The BBC's Chris Morris says reforms could include less regulation and less focus on economic austerity policies, while measures to boost growth and create jobs could address voter discontent.

Mr Van Rompuy said the results of the European elections had shown "a mix of continuity and change" and that the Eurosceptic message from voters was "at the heart" of discussions between leaders.

He said the meeting in Brussels had been a "useful first discussion" and that EU leaders had agreed on putting the economy at the heart of the group's agenda.

"As the union emerges from the financial crisis it needs a positive agenda of growth," he said, repeating a common refrain of what is needed to reverse growing anti-EU sentiment.

'France cannot live isolated'

President Francois Hollande asked Europe to "pay attention" to France after describing his Socialist party's defeat to the far-right National Front as "painful."

The National Front - which Germany's finance minister described as "fascist" - stormed to victory with a preliminary 25% of the vote, pushing Mr Hollande's Socialists into third place.

European media reaction to summit

Gregor Peter Schmitz on Spiegel Online:

"[German Chancellor Angela] Merkel's tone was that of a woman ending a relationship over her mobile. What we saw in Brussels was no longer the party politician Merkel who wants to push through a decision on Christian Democrat Juncker... getting Europe's most powerful post at any cost. What we saw was Chancellor Merkel, one of the 28 members of the European Council, an assembly of heads of state and government that is powerful, too."

Jean Quatremer blog on French daily Liberation :

"[UK Prime Minister] David Cameron finds the EU 'too bossy'... but he firmly rejects the idea that the European Parliament should choose the president of the Commission... The most astonishing thing is that he has the support of Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands - three countries which like to think of themselves as paragons of democracy. It just doesn't make any sense."

Claudi Perez on Spanish daily El Pais:

"The gains made by radicals in the 25 May elections and the fall of the two-party system has prompted anxiety in Europe's institutions, which are now engaged in what promises to be a long battle for the presidency of the European Commission."

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David Cameron: "The EU cannot shrug off these results"

National Front President Marine Le Pen said she would use her electoral mandate to "defend France" and fight "crazy measures like votes for immigrants."

Speaking after EU leaders met in Brussels, Mr Hollande said the National Front victory was "traumatic for France and Europe."

"France cannot live isolated and frightened. Its destiny is in Europe," he added.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her country had the "utmost interest in France being successful", adding that she would do all she could to help growth and competitiveness in the French economy.

Mr Van Rompuy also told reporters that he would hold talks with the political groups to be formed in the European Parliament on who will be named to head the next Commission, the EU's executive arm.

On the latest projections, the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) will be the biggest political group and its candidate is former Luxembourg premier Jean-Claude Juncker.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

The Eurosceptic voices are being heard by the electorate - it's an indication that citizens are not very happy with the way Europe is being governed"

End Quote Juergen Gevaert Belgian journalist

The German chancellor, whose Christian Democrat party is part of the EPP, indicated Mr Juncker may not end up leading the Commission, after some member states expressed reservations about him.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who sees Mr Juncker as too much of an EU federalist, is among those opposed to his nomination.

EU leaders have traditionally named the Commission head on their own, but under new rules they now have "to take account" of the European election results.

Our correspondent says the process for choosing the president of the Commission could produce fireworks amid rumblings over interpretations of the Lisbon Treaty.

But Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said that while there would be no time limit on Mr Van Rompuy, he would be expected to report back within two or three weeks.

"It should not be dragged out too long," Mr Kenny said.

Vote 2014 Continue reading the main story

Full coverage of results

You can follow full coverage with all the latest updates at bbc.co.uk/vote2014.

Did you vote in the recent elections? What is your reaction to the election results? You can send us your comments by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line "EU".

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One third 'admit racial prejudice'

28 May 2014 Last updated at 09:11

Nearly a third of people in Britain admit being racially prejudiced, research has suggested.

The British Social Attitudes survey found the proportion had increased since the start of the century, returning to the level of 30 years ago.

According to the survey, by social research company NatCen, 30% of those polled described themselves as either "very" or "a little" race prejudiced.

Penny Young, chief executive of NatCen, said the findings were "troubling".

The survey of more than 2,000 people revealed that prejudice had risen since an all-time low of 25% of people in 2001.

It also found wide variations currently across the country: 16% of people in inner London admitted to prejudice but the figure was 35% in the West Midlands.

Older men in manual jobs were the most likely to say they were prejudiced, but the group recording the biggest rise was educated male professionals.

Levels of racial prejudice increased with age, at 25% for 17 to 34-year-olds compared with 36% for over-55s.

Education had an impact with 19% of those with a degree and 38% of those with no qualifications reporting racial prejudice.

'National psyche'

The social attitudes survey has been carried out every year since 1983.

People were asked whether they would describe themselves as prejudiced "against people of other races".

Ms Young told BBC Radio 4's Today programme self-reported prejudice was "very difficult" to study in detail.

It appeared to be in "inexorable decline" in 2001 as part of "increasingly socially liberal Britain" - but has since gone back up.

The effect of the 9/11 attacks and an increase in concern about immigration were two possible reasons for the turnaround, she said.

The strongest message to politicians from the survey concerned immigration.

More than 90% of those who admitted some level of racial prejudice wanted to see a reduction in the number of people entering the UK.

But so did 73% of those who said they were not racially prejudiced.

Ms Young added: "Levels of racial prejudice declined steadily throughout the 90s, but have been on the rise again during the first decade of this century.

"This bucks the trend of a more socially liberal and tolerant Britain. Our local and national leaders need to understand and respond to increased levels of racial prejudice if we are to build strong local communities."

Alison Park, co-director of the survey, said: "Racial prejudice, in whatever guise, is undoubtedly still part of the national psyche."

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House prices will face 'correction'

28 May 2014 Last updated at 10:18

Nationwide building society has warned the London housing market may face a "natural correction".

The mutual's chief executive, Graham Beale said there was already a "slowing down in the market place".

It comes as Nationwide reported its best ever year, with a four-fold rise in pre-tax annual profits to £677m, against £168m a year earlier.

Mr Beale told the BBC's business editor, Kamal Ahmed, buyers had started to baulk at ever higher house prices.

"At some point buyers just start saying no," he added.

Continue reading the main story

• Lets you see where you can afford to live - and if it would it be cheaper to rent or buy
• Enter how many bedrooms, which end of the market and how much you want to pay each month
• As you move the payment slider, parts of the UK light up to show you where you can afford
• Based on pricing and rental data from residential property analysts Hometrack

Nationwide said it increased mortgage lending by 31% to £28.1bn in the year to 4 April on the back of the recovery in the housing market.

The mutual said it had also approved 31% of all mortgages advanced within the government's Help to Buy scheme, designed to help first-time buyers onto the property ladder.

But it added the number of mortgages it advanced to borrowers with a deposit of 10% or less of a property's purchase value - which would account for a majority of first-time buyers - remained low, at 2.4% of its total lending for the year.

'Clearly unsustainable'

The most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed average property values increased by 8% in the year to March to £252,000, down slightly from the 9.2% rise recorded a month earlier.

House prices in London rose 17% in the year to March, according to the ONS.

Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at mortgage brokers John Charcol, said the rate of increase in house prices in London was "clearly unsustainable" but added that it was "very difficult" to talk about the risk of a housing bubble outside of the capital.

He pointed out that house prices in many parts of the UK remained well below their 2007 peak.

"There are signs that the London market is topping out," he added. "By which I mean that the rate of increase in house prices is likely to slowdown.

"What we will see over the next year is the big difference in house prices in London and elsewhere will narrow considerably as prices elsewhere begin to pick up."

Mr Boulger forecast that house prices nationally would rise by 9% this year, adding that he expected the rise in property values in London to slowdown to about the same level.

State-backed Lloyds Banking Group recently announced it would restrict lending to four times a borrower's income for mortgage applications of £500,000 or more. There has been speculation that Royal Bank of Scotland may soon follow suit.

'Compelling alternative'

Nationwide also announced it had achieved the 3% leverage ratio - the difference between a bank or building society's total capital versus its loans and other debts - set by the Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA), a year earlier than expected.

Last year, it missed the 3% target as it did not have sufficient capital and it was given until 2015 to increase its capital base and now has a leverage ratio of 3.3%.

Nationwide's position was strengthened by a £4.9bn increase in savers' deposits to £130.5bn, equal to a 12.1% share of the total savings market.

Mr Beale, said the mutual continued to offer "a clear and compelling alternative to the established banks".

Underlying pre-tax profits rose 113% to £924m in the year to 4 April from £433m a year earlier.

New and existing customers opened more than 430,000 new current accounts, an 18% increase compared with a year before.

Nationwide said it had increased its overall market share of current account customers to 5.5 million accounts or 6.2% in February - the most recent figures available - up from 5.7% a year earlier, helped by new rules that make it quicker and easier for people to switch their current account to another provider.

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French police move into Calais camps

28 May 2014 Last updated at 10:21

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The BBC's Paul Adams watched as police moved in

Police in the northern French city of Calais are removing about 800 migrants from Asia, the Middle East and Africa who are occupying camps near the port.

The authorities say the evictions are needed to deal with an outbreak of scabies in the camps, where numbers have swelled in recent months.

The migrants have been trying to get to Britain, and say they have nowhere else to go after the camps are destroyed.

Police moved into the site after a deadline for people to leave expired.

Several busloads of police in riot gear arrived at the camps early on Wednesday.

After a stand-off with local activists, the officers moved in and told migrants to pack their bags.

Paul Adams, BBC News, Calais

The camps are cleared, but what happens next? Having failed to explain their plan until after the appearance of riot police, the Calais authorities should not be surprised that no-one seems to trust their intentions. The buses stand empty. Repeated efforts by local officials to explain their proposals are met with disbelief. This is just the latest episode in a long-running saga.

The migrants complain that they live like animals, with minimal shelter, appalling sanitation and little food. Now the authorities are offering to provide a shower, clean clothes and a better place to live. But the migrants, urged on by local activists, are refusing to co-operate.

Even as their camps are bulldozed and the migrants find themselves dispersed once more, they are bound to return to this place to risk their lives again and again.

An Eritrean man said he had tried to cross the English Channel by boarding lorries but was stopped by police several times. "I will try again and again," he told the BBC.

Local officials say the migrants will be transported to new accommodation somewhere in the region, but initial attempts to persuade them to board buses were unsuccessful.

Continue reading the main story

Many get stuck in this small city and their presence is very visible and has made some locals angry"

End Quote

Bashir Bakhtyar BBC News, Calais

---

Most people at the camps believe the UK will be a more welcoming place if only they can get there, our correspondent says.

In 2002 the French government closed the main Red Cross centre at Sangatte near Calais, but insanitary illegal camps have sprung up in its place.

The migrants have been sheltering under plastic bags and sheets, without water, power or even enough food.

The camps are a few hundred metres from a terminal where ferries take passengers and goods back and forth between France and the UK.

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New claims on independence economy

28 May 2014 Last updated at 10:39

Competing claims about the costs and benefits of Scottish independence have been set out to voters.

The Scottish government said an independent Scotland would start out with "strong" finances, and could be £5bn a year better off by 2029-30.

UK ministers said Scotland would be better off staying within the UK by about £1,400 per person per year.

The two sides set out their cases ahead of the independence referendum, on 18 September.

A new Scottish government paper said Scotland's finances in 2016-17 would be similar to, or stronger than, both the UK and the G7 industrialised countries as a whole.

The paper added that debt would be on a "downward trajectory", enabling future Scottish governments to start an oil savings fund.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, said: "Scotland is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, more prosperous per head than the UK, France and Japan, but we need the powers of independence to ensure that wealth properly benefits everyone in our society.

"That wealth means we will start life as an independent nation with strong finances and huge economic potential.

"The latest figures show that by using the powers that only independence will bring we can deliver an independence bonus with increased revenues for Scotland."

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander published a paper outlining what the UK government sees as challenges to an independent Scotland, including an ageing population, declining oil revenues and the potential for higher interest rates.

Speaking in Edinburgh, Mr Alexander said: "Today we have shown that, by staying together, Scotland's future will be safer, with stronger finances and a more progressive society.

"Because as a United Kingdom we can pool resources and share risks. It means a UK dividend of £1,400 a year for every man, woman and child in Scotland.

"That dividend is our share of a more prosperous future. It is the money that will pay for better public services and a fairer society."

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Farage hails 'historic' Euro win

26 May 2014 Last updated at 08:36

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Live BBC News coverage of the European election results

Nigel Farage has said his "dream has become a reality" and UKIP is now the "third force" in British politics after it topped the European polls.

With only Scotland left to declare, UKIP has 27.5% of the vote and 23 MEPs.

Labour, on 25%, is narrowly beating the Tories into second place while the Lib Dems lost all but one of their seats and came behind the Greens.

David Cameron said the public was "disillusioned" with the EU and their message was "received and understood".

The full Scottish result will be known at noon on Monday, as the Western Isles does not count votes on a Sunday.

The BBC is predicting that the result in Scotland will be SNP on two seats, Labour on two seats and the Conservatives and UKIP with one seat each - meaning Mr Farage's anti-EU party is expected to win at least one seat in every part of Great Britain.

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Nigel Farage: "The people's army of UKIP have spoken tonight"

It will be the first time a national election has not been won by the Conservatives or Labour in 100 years - and the first time a party with no MPs at Westminster has achieved such a result.

Counting in Northern Ireland begins later on Monday.

• UKIP topped the poll in six of the 10 regions to declare, with its strongest performance coming in the East Midlands, where its vote was up 16.5% to 33%
• Labour topped the poll in Wales, the North-West of England, the North-East of England and London where it increased its share of the vote by 15% to 36.7%
• Ed Miliband's party has 18 MEPs so far, an increase of seven on 2009, which was a record low point for the party
• UKIP came third in London with 16.9% of the vote
• The Conservatives have so far secured 24% of the vote nationally and lost seven seats
• The Lib Dems have lost nine MEPs but avoided a humiliating wipe-out by winning a single seat in the South-East of England
• The Green Party has got three MEPs - one more than it achieved in 2009
• Coverage is on the BBC News Channel and BBC World. You can follow all the latest news, reaction and results on bbc.co.uk/vote2014

In his victory speech at the South East of England count, UKIP leader Mr Farage said: "The people's army of UKIP have spoken tonight and have delivered just about the most extraordinary result in British politics for 100 years."

Continue reading the main story

It is over 100 years since a national election has been won by a party other than the Conservatives and Labour"

End Quote

He said the three main parties in Britain had led the country into the Common Market but had "twisted and turned" over an in/out referendum on EU membership.

"The penny's really dropped that as members of this union we cannot run our own country and crucially, we cannot control our own borders," said the UKIP leader.

He later told the BBC that he was "over the moon" about his party's performance and he was more confident than ever that it would make a breakthrough at Westminster next year.

The result had "serious consequences" for the three main party leaders and he believed Nick Clegg's position as Lib Dem leader was now "untenable".

Mr Clegg faced calls to stand down ahead of Sunday night's results - something firmly rejected by senior party figures.

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Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander (R) rejects calls from federal executive member Martin Tod (L) for a new party leader

A member of the party's federal executive, Martin Tod, reiterated his call for Mr Clegg to quit because voters were "not prepared" to listen to him.

He said any new leader should "prove themselves in a democratic party election".

Mr Tod, a councillor in Winchester, branded his party's results in the European elections a "disaster" and the party's response "complacent".

But Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander, who has been touted as a future leader himself, insisted Mr Clegg was "by far the best spokesman" for the Lib Dems and said "plunging the party into a period of introspection" was not the right response to the results.

Conservative party chairman Grant Shapps said the results were acting as "a command for Britain to get a better deal" in Europe - but he rejected calls by Tory grandee David Davis to bring forward the in/out EU referendum to 2016, saying negotiations on this could not be rushed.

The Tory leadership faced further calls for an electoral pact with UKIP to avoid a split in the right of British politics at next year's general election.

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Foreign Secretary William Hague: "We can fix the relationship between Britain and Europe"

Daniel Hannan, who was returned as a Tory MEP in the South East region, said: "It would be very sad if the two right-of-centre Eurosceptic parties at the general election were not able to find some way, at least in marginal seats, of reaching an accommodation so that anti-referendum candidates don't get in with a minority of votes."

Grant Shapps has repeatedly ruled out any formal pact or local deals with UKIP.

Labour was looking at one stage as if it might be beaten into third place by the Tories - a potentially disastrous result for Ed Miliband as he seeks to show he can win next year's general election.

But the party was rescued by another strong showing in London - and it took heart from local election results in battleground seats, which party spokesmen suggested were a better guide to general election performance.

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Natalie Bennett: "What people are saying... is that [they're] not happy with politics as it is now"

Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman said UKIP had tapped into people's disaffection with politics.

She told BBC people have said they are voting UKIP, even if they are a Labour supporter, because, they said: "I think you need a shake-up."

BNP leader Nick Griffin lost his seat and saw his party's vote collapse by 6% in the North-West of England.

The BNP has seen a similar slump in support across the UK and seems certain to have no representation in the next European Parliament.

Across the channel, the far right anti-EU National Front has topped the poll in France, according to exit polls.

Anti-EU parties from the left and right are expected to gain significant numbers of MEPs across all 28 member states in the wake of the eurozone crisis and severe financial squeeze.

But pro-EU parties are still expected to hold the majority in parliament.

Turnout across the EU is up slightly at 43.1%, according to estimates. Turnout in the UK was 33.8%, down slightly on last time.

In the European elections five years ago, the Conservatives got 27.7% of the total vote, ahead of UKIP on 16.5%, Labour on 15.7%, the Lib Dems on 13.7%, the Green Party on 8.6% and the BNP on 6.2%.

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Number in council tax debt 'rocketed'

26 May 2014 Last updated at 09:07

The number of people seeking help for council tax arrears has "rocketed" to become the most common type of debt problem, a charity has said.

Between January and March 2014 Citizens Advice helped 27,000 people who had fallen into council tax arrears - a 17% increase on the same period in 2013.

It comes after council tax benefit changes were introduced in April 2013.

Local government minister Brandon Lewis said they formed a "vital part" of cutting the deficit.

As part of the government's welfare changes, council tax benefit was replaced by a council tax support scheme, run by local authorities instead of Whitehall.

The government also cut the budget for the scheme by 10%, or £414m. It said the benefit had been costing taxpayers £4bn a year.

Local authorities set up their own council tax support schemes using the reduced pot of money.

'Most in need'

However, Citizens Advice said the levels of support offered to people now varied "from one council to the next" and said council tax arrears were now "the number one debt problem" for people.

It said one in five people who had reported debt problems to the charity in 2014 had a council tax arrears issue and that the number of people struggling with council tax payments had "rocketed" since the changes were made.

The charity called for local councils to ensure council tax support schemes were focused on families and households who were "most in need".

"For some households council tax bills can be the tipping point that plunges them into debt," Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice said.

"Consumer debts like credit cards and personal loans have traditionally been the most common debt problems that come through our doors, but since the end of council tax benefit we've seen council tax arrears problems go through the roof.

"As their budgets shrink local authorities are increasingly stretched, but they must ensure that the resources available for their local council tax support scheme are focused on those who are most in need."

'Stronger incentives'

However, local government minister Brandon Lewis said Downing Street had delivered an 11% real-terms cut to council tax bills.

He said the latest official annual figures showed arrears were falling and that collection rates across the country now stood at 97.4% - up by almost 4% on last year.

"Council tax benefit doubled under the last administration costing every household £180 a year so welfare reform is a vital part of reducing the inherited deficit.

"Locally-designed council tax support gives councils stronger incentives to cut fraud and support people to get back into work," he said.

Citizens Advice said 42% of people who asked it for help between January and March with council tax arrears were employed, compared with 28% who were unemployed and 30% not working due to ill health, caring responsibilities or retirement.

Earlier this year the debt charity StepChange said it had seen a 77% rise in the number of households needing advice on council tax arrears over the last year.

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New Scots bodies 'could cost £1.5bn'

26 May 2014 Last updated at 09:16

The cost of setting up all the bodies needed in an independent Scotland could be £1.5bn, the UK Treasury has claimed.

It based the figure on research into the costs of setting up an independent state in Quebec, which have been estimated at 1% of GDP.

The Treasury also said that the costs could be nearly twice as much, if based on London School of Economics research.

The Scottish government said the analysis was "deeply flawed" as much of the infrastructure already exists.

The Treasury claimed Scottish ministers wanted to create 180 public bodies, which led the LSE to a figure of £2.7bn.

Its research estimated the cost of setting up each new department at £15m.

The Treasury said that, while it had used a more conservative figure in its own analysis, the £2.7bn costing was "reasonable".

It called on the Scottish government to publish its own estimates for how much it would cost to set up the organisations needed to run a country.

Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander said: "The Scottish government is trying to leave the UK but it won't tell anyone how much the set-up surcharge is for an independent Scotland."

Pensions and passports

The Scottish government said it had never suggested that 180 public bodies would be needed.

Ministers also argued that start-up costs would be lower because they were planning to run a slimmed-down system.

A spokesman for Scotland's Finance Secretary John Swinney said: "Scotland is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, more prosperous per head than the UK, France and Japan - but we need the powers of independence to ensure that wealth properly benefits everyone in our society.

"This is deeply flawed analysis, underlined by the ludicrous and palpably false claim that an independent Scotland would need 180 government departments - something we have never claimed.

"Much of the infrastructure needed for an independent country already exists, and Scottish taxpayers already pay their fair share for all devolved and reserved services - while Scotland also stands to inherit a fair share of joint assets, valued at around $1.3 trillion."

If Scotland votes for independence, a number of current UK-wide bodies would need to be created in Scotland, including Scottish tax, pensions, passports, benefits, transport and regulatory bodies.

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