How does the Labour politician who oversees policing in Avon and Somerset feel about being cancelled by her own party after less than 18 months in office?

This week we’re talking to Clare Moody, Avon & Somerset’s police and crime commissioner (PCC), who beat her Conservative predecessor Mark Shelford by 5,000 votes in 2024, albeit on a low turnout of 23%.

In November, as we were finalising the guest booking, policing minister Sarah Jones announced that the Starmer government would be scrapping PCCs, which were set up under the Tories in the 2010s, with a statement calling the role a "failed experiment". The Police Federation, which represents the rank and file, backed the move.

In this first Unpacked of 2026, Neil asks Moody about whether her job still matters, and what comes next, about the state of policing nationally and here in Bristol, and about what forces need to do to regain the trust of communities they serve. Enjoy.

The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom – fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible.

Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.

Bristol Temple Quarter is the biggest redevelopment the city has seen in at least a generation, and will transform a vast area around Temple Meads station, St Philips Marsh and the Dings beyond recognition.

Much of this has been untouched for decades, and while it’s mostly current or former industrial land, it also sits next-door to some of the city’s poorest communities around Lawrence Hill and Barton Hill.

This week on Bristol Unpacked, we talk to the woman overseeing the massive project. Lyn Garner is chair of the Temple Quarter partnership, which brings together the city council, Homes England, Network Rail, and the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.

So what impact will the Temple Quarter have on the lives of people in the city? What is it going to do for Bristol’s big issues – like housing, jobs, education and transport? And with the plans going big on words like equity and inclusivity, how can these kinds of schemes bring on board and deliver for the people most affected by them?

The Bristol Cable is Bristol's community-owned cooperative newsroom – fiercely independent journalism that puts people before profit. Since 2014, we've been holding power to account through investigative reporting, community campaigns, and democratic media ownership. Because when journalism serves the community, not shareholders, real change becomes possible.

Support independent journalism and help us bring more vital conversations to Bristol: become a Bristol Cable member.

Before starting this series, we held a roundtable discussion with experts in the field of youth justice. We spoke about serious violence among young people, the root causes of it, and how it's represented in the media.

Media outlets have lots to learn when it comes to rebuilding trust with the communities they serve, including young people. As does the criminal justice system, and the institutions there to protect children.

The language we use to describe issues like these is important. In this episode, we explore how newspapers frame incidents of serious youth violence, and the damaging impact of sensationalising stories.

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