Clegg: Lib Dems suffer a 'real knock'

The Liberal Democrats have suffered heavy losses in the local elections in England. It's the first significant test of public opinion since the coalition government was formed and with most of the votes counted in the race for local councils in England, the Lib Dems have lost almost half their councillors.

The party leader Nick Clegg called it a "real knock" and said they had been blamed for the coalition spending cuts.

And in the referendum on whether to change the voting system to the Alternative Vote - the BBC is predicting an overwhelming victory for the No campaign.

The BBC's Political Editor James Landale reports.