Meet presenter David Garmston

David Garmston presenter of The Politics Show for the West

David Garmston has appeared on 'Points West' for a number of years. He brings 20 years of broadcasting experience to The Politics Show.

David, who was born in Bristol, is a familiar face in the west country. He made his first tentative steps into journalism when the editor of a newspaper in Cheltenham spotted him and offered him a traineeship.

He was sent away to Kent to learn the business on a small weekly newspaper and three years later he qualified coming top in the country in the final exams.

From there it was to shades of Eddie Shoestring, with a job at Bristol's Radio West, before he finally got the call from the BBC.

"They offered me 12 days' work on Points West, so I took it. After that I just kept turning up until I became a bit of a fixture and nobody liked to tell me to leave!"

Within six months David was the programme's assistant editor, the youngest in the country at the time. But he hankered after an on screen job and switched to being a reporter and later a presenter.

Political expertise

"I have followed local politics for a long time and I am looking forward to having some great debates on the programme. We are brimming with fresh ideas for the show and I am really look forward to bringing politics to the people.

"Every week my colleague Amanda Parr is going to be out reporting live to make sure that the show connects with the things that matter most to people.

"The style is going to be informal and friendly but we are going to be looking at some really important issues and asking some hard questions to the powers that be. And we are going to make sure that viewers have their say too."

Besides Politics

A huge fan of the West, David is delighted that his career has enabled him to live and work in the part of the country that he loves. He will continue broadcasting on Points West in addition to the Politics Show.

Join David Garmston on The Politics Show every Sunday at midday on BBC One.