tonight at 6:00: there's mounting speculation about the prime minister's future. is it time to go prime minister? it's a question many in her own party are asking — and the prime minister seemed to acknowledge the issue as she delivered her brexit statement. while i am here, i have a duty to be clear with the house. i have a duty to be clear with the house about the facts. if we are going to deliver brexit in this parliament, we are going to have to pass a withdrawal agreement bill. behind closed doors, tory backbenchers have been meeting and they're set to reconvene any minute now. others have been more open. the feeling is very much there that we've come to the end of the road with this prime minister. we need to turn the page as quickly as possible.

two cabinet ministers have told me the prime minister cannot go on. but no 10 is adamant, theresa may's not budging tonight. all this on the day before voters across the uk go to the polls. also tonight — up to 25,000 jobs are at risk as british steel collapses after rescue talks fail. we were told it wouldn't happen again — panorama uncovers vulnerable patients being mocked and taunted by abusive staff at a specialist hospital in county durham. the road rage killer kenneth noye is to be released on parole — his victim's family say they are gutted. the queen celebrates 150 years of sainsbury‘s with a lesson at a self—serve check out. "can you cheat?", she asks. and coming up on bbc news — she's won the ballon d'or, champions league and now the bbc women's footballer of the year award — but ada hegerberg won't play at the world cup.

good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. we go an air amidst increasing speculation about the prime minister's future. theresa may was in the commons today presenting her latest attempt to get a brexit deal but that was overshadowed by mounting calls for her to quit. many in her own party were discussing it, both openly and in private. and this afternoon, backbenchers have discussed whether to change the rules to speed up her departure. 0ur political editor laura kuenssberg is at westminster now. 0ur viewers are well aware there have been doubts about the reason av have been doubts about the reason a's leadership for many months. she herself has more or less said that she will resign next month ——

theresa may's leadership. but something different has happened today, the mood has really changed, more and more conservatives are publicly saying she must quit as soon as possible, ministers have been saying to me privately she has now reached the end of the line. no 10 are adamant, though, nothing has really changed, she will press on and still try to get her brexit deal through, but it feels the government is almost in breakdown and it is simply not clear at this moment they will really be able to hang on. theresa may doesn't really normally arrive at the commons this way but it's not an ordinary day. brexiteer cabinet ministers, unwilling to give clear support for the prime minister's plan. i'm looking carefully at the legislation today asa carefully at the legislation today as a leader of the commons. that's myjob. and as a leader of the commons. that's my job. and making as a leader of the commons. that's myjob. and making sure it delivers brexit. thanks very much. while rather enjoying their departure for work. prime minister... eurosceptic

ministers didn't at the start take their usual places to support theresa may, gathering instead privately, wondering how to persuade her to ditch her brexit plan. at lunchtime, the prime minister had to explain her new brexit compromise, the won so many mps slammed last night. there wasn't much support for her on show. we can bring an end to the months, years, of increasingly bitter argument and division that have both polarised and paralysed our politics. we can move on, move forwards, and get on with the jobs we we re forwards, and get on with the jobs we were sent here to do, what we got into politics to do. that is what we can achieve if we support this new deal. it's now clear the bold new deal. it's now clear the bold new deal the prime minister promised is little more than a repackaged version of her three times rejected deal. the rhetoric may have changed but the deal has not. this government is too weak and too

divided to get this country out of the mess that they have created. look how empty the place was, though. it's almost as if no one is really listening in proposing this, is she going through the motions, or does she really believing it? this deal is dead, stop this charade, let's get on with putting the decision back to the people once and for all. the country decided to leave the eu, simple as that.|j for all. the country decided to leave the eu, simple as that. i have been trying to leave the european union. i been trying to leave the european union. lam been trying to leave the european union. i am looking forward to voting a fourth time to leave the european union individual agreement bill. this backing, probably in vain. they should give this proposition without any commitments right now, they should give this proposition due consideration. the whole house needs to stop saying no to everything on the table, just

because it's not our favourite dish. with her plan shredded, theresa may's authority is sinking too, if not sunk. the people that i spend my time with mainly other moderates and the centre ground conservatives, and the centre ground conservatives, and the feeling is very much there that we have come to the end of the road with this prime minister. we have come to the end of the road with this prime ministerlj we have come to the end of the road with this prime minister. i think we need a new leader. it's really sad, andl need a new leader. it's really sad, and i came into the parliament at the same time as theresa may and have never put in a letter of no confidence in the lead of the conservative party in my 22 years. the time has come for a new leader, we only have a few months until the deadline of 31st october and we need a new leader and team to deliver that. things are changing fast for theresa may and for the worse. in the last hour and a member of the cabinet has told me this has to be the end of the line. another has said theresa may won't last beyond monday. and backbenchers who have been plotting to oust her for months are meeting again right now. it's simply not in the prime minister's nature to leave any faster than

planned. theresa may might not be able to keep avoiding the exit for long. it is astonishing timing, the european elections are tomorrow, right around the country, but things are very, very peculiar in westminster right now. the chief whip who is in charge of party discipline has been in talks with tory backbenchers in the last hour and we are not sure what has gone on there yet, but many of them will have conveyed a strong message that they want her gone. cabinet ministers including the home secretary, foreign secretary and scottish secretary have asked for private meetings with theresa may this afternoon to express their concerns. those meetings have been turned down and pulled by no 10 and won't happen. and her allies still say, what is the alternative? she has to stay on and try and see this through. she has already said that she will resign almost no matter what happens with her brexit plan at the beginning of next month. but there are so many questions now, so many people out there in the wide open saying that the situation must

be brought to an end. it's almost as if theresa may is teetering on the edge of a cliff, fingers in her ears, edge of a cliff, fingers in her ears , eyes edge of a cliff, fingers in her ea rs, eyes closed, edge of a cliff, fingers in her ears, eyes closed, trying to pretend that the drop isn't there. laura, thank you very much. british steel has collapsed, after talks with the government about a financial bail—out broke down. workers at the company's plants now face weeks of uncertainty as efforts are made to rescue the business. 5,000 of them work directly for british steel and another 20,000 people are employed in the supply chain. it was always going to be a challenge to keep the business going because of brexit uncertainty, a weak pound, and massive competition from china. our business correspondent coletta smith is outside the plant in scunthorpe. this is the news that everyone in scunthorpe hoped this is the news that everyone in scu nthorpe hoped never to this is the news that everyone in scunthorpe hoped never to hear. they have survived decades of difficulties in this industry, and now the company is being liquidated. that means british steel have said

they will pay workers this week's wages but the government are going to pick up the tab from then on. and while last—ditch attempts are made to find a buyer for any or all of the business will stop if that's not successful then the gates here will be locked and more than 3000 people will face redundancy in this town alone. this steelworks has shaped the landscape and lives here for generations. but that might be about to change. we have been told 110 different things so we don't know where we are or what's going on.|j wa nt where we are or what's going on.|j want to stay in myjob but what will be will be. can't do anything. apparently we are getting special managers to ring us and let us know what is happening. but still left in limbo, don't know what's happening. for weeks, everyone who has been living in the hope that the government would step in and bail out british steel. but today came the news that wasn't happening. this government has failed those people, and even at this late stage, and

there is a statement later on today, must step in to save those jobs. the government has been working tirelessly with the company with its owner and lenders to explore all potential options to secure a solution for the company but we can only act within the law. and it is clear that it would be unlawful to provide a guarantee or a loan on the terms requested by the company. who is to blame for a company that made a profit last year being taken over by the liquidator today? greybull capital bought the business four yea rs capital bought the business four years ago forjust £1. they say capital bought the business four years ago for just £1. they say they have spent millions on this site here but needed the government's help just to keep things rolling. but just last week they spent £40 million buying a french steel company and everyone i have been talking to want to know why that money wasn't spent here. and it is not just the workers who money wasn't spent here. and it is notjust the workers who are money wasn't spent here. and it is not just the workers who are feeling the effects of this news. if 4000 jobs go in this area, that's 4000

stu d e nts jobs go in this area, that's 4000 students and when they finish couege students and when they finish college or university they will not have jobs to college or university they will not havejobs to go college or university they will not have jobs to go into so it will have future generations stuck with nothing to do as much is the generation is already in that. scunthorpe boxing club is a stone's throw from the main factory gates. 0ver throw from the main factory gates. over the years the steelworks have donated plenty of money and classes would be dearer, they are only £2 for kids. see the big steelworks over the road? yeah. would you like to work there one day?” over the road? yeah. would you like to work there one day? i want to be a boxer when to work there one day? i want to be a boxerwhen i'm to work there one day? i want to be a boxer when i'm older. the blow is felt much further afield than scunthorpe. 30 felt much further afield than scu nthorpe. 30 miles felt much further afield than scunthorpe. 30 miles up the river they are impacted too. it is very sad because a lot of people from school work there and i wish the government would get themselves sorted out. it is terrible, for the price of a football player, basically. although google, where is the steel coming from? it will be

trying as opposed to scunthorpe where it has always come from. —— goole. workers at british steel had hoped to keep their place but eve ryo ne hoped to keep their place but everyone on the humber estuary knows you can't fight the tide forever. colette smith, bbc news. let's get more on this with our political editorjohn pienaar who is here with me. is there a sense in westminster where this is heading? despite the fa ct where this is heading? despite the fact this story was somewhat overshadowed today at westminster by the leadership and brexit crisis there was a real feeling that this was a cold, hard reality check on conditions within the economy and the effects on real people. jeremy corbyn attacked howard, demanded nationalisation, like the lifelong state interventionist he is, the government turned its face away from that like the conservative administration that it is but the secretary, the brexit business secretary is no ideologue. he was arguing this is not a case of british steel having to sink or swim

in the market, rather he was ready, he said, to hand more money to british steel but it would have been unlawful under eu rules and world trade organisation rules, so impossible before or after brexit. as for the future he was going to come he didn't quite put it like this but he was going to be a salesperson for british steel, promoting it to potential investors in the future and helping to make sure the business was there, ready for some new buyer to come in, some new investor, to come in in the future. as for that future, it depends on making the case for british steel as a national asset, isa british steel as a national asset, is a vital part of the economy, and as far as brexit uncertainty and political uncertainty goes, british steel, like all the rest of us, will have to ride that out. thanks very much. an undercover investigation by the bbc‘s panorama programme has found vulnerable patients being mocked, taunted and intimidated by abusive staff at a private hospital in the north east of england. 16 permanent staff have been suspended at whorlton hall hospital in county durham and a police investigation is under way. the hospital looks after patients with learning

disabilities or autism. this investigation comes eight years after panorama exposed the abuse of patients at another mental health hospital. it led to promises that such institutions would close. 0ur social affairs correspondent alison holt has the story. you may find some of her report upsetting. this is whorlton hall in county durham, a privately run hospital looking after about a dozen nhs—funded patients who have learning disabilities or autism. here, a bbc panorama investigation found some staff bullying, intimidating, and even boasting about hurting the very vulnerable people in their care. during shifts over two months, an undercover reporter witnessed a disturbing culture. one patient, a young woman with autism who lives on this corridor, should only be looked after by women. she's frightened of men, but when she gets upset, the female staff are deliberately sent away.

the female carers are told to go for five minutes, leaving the men taunting the young woman. her screams can still be heard at the end of the corridor. it was total intimidation. that is what it was, intimidation to make her stop because they are two big grown men, just causing her to act out even more. it was massively distressing for the patient, massively distressing. this patient is a regular target for staff. professors glynis murphy and andrew mcdonald are leading experts on learning disabilities, autism and challenging behaviour. it is like torture. i think it is like psychological torture because she is stuck there, she can't actually get away.

so it's a secure unit and they are deliberately taunting her and deliberately upsetting her. iagree. that is torture, adding something to a situation to visibly cause distress to another human being. the undercover footage also shows patients being provoked by staff then restrained. here, a patient with mental disabilities is pinned for nearly ten minutes, his distress largely ignored. staff also go to remove his personal possessions from his room. wow, come on. just so cruel, because it's clearly being used as a punishment. the company that took over the hospital says that safety and care of patients is of paramount importance.

that they are cooperating with the police and moving patients elsewhere. the care regulator which had rated the hospital as "good" has apologised to patients and families. it says a review and has carried out for the government has also underlined the failures of the wider system. these hospitals should shut because they are no longer needed, but that was said seven or eight years ago and it hasn't happened. so, it's delivering on that promise of providing alternative services, that's what has to happen. the government says it is working to ensure more people return home after treatment and investing in more community support. alison is here with me. i have lost count of the number of times we have had promises about the sort of thing, and reviews about this sort of thing. indeed, that is the absolute frustration felt by families and experts. there has been a lot of talk. after the panorama programme eight years ago, which exposed abuse at winterbourne view,

there was a promise of change, that people would be moved out of these institutions and into the community. that has happened for some, but there are still about 2300 people living in these sort of hospitals. some news, we havejust had it confirmed that the hospital is now empty, that has been confirmed in the last hour. that means patients have all been moved to another place. it is worth saying in the last couple of days we have had two highly critical reports. and now we have had this panorama, showing failings across the system, people being in hospitals for a long time and separated from others. the government has said it will review the care of individual patients and a panel of experts will look at ways of caring for people that are this vulnerable in future. i have to say, again, people are sceptical. they say we have heard this all before. we need action, we don't need reviews. and we can see the programme tonight? we can indeed,

tonight on bbc one at 9pm. the time is 6.18. our top story this evening... theresa may's latest attempt to get a brexit deal through parliament is overshadowed by calls for her to quit. and still to come — sir philip green's empire which owns topshop, burton and miss selfridge says it wants to close 23 shops. it's the day before we go to the polls in the european elections to choose the 73 meps who will represent us in the european parliament. these are the elections that were never meant to take place and its expected both the conservatives and labour could lose votes to smaller parties.

how will they all fair in comparison to the last european vote five years ago? 0ur deputy political editor john pienaar has been looking at the numbers. who's excited about the european elections? ok, maybe the wrong question for a lot of people. three years on from the referendum, these elections, which were never meant to happen, have got top politicians, from theresa may down, and on both sides, feeling fearful. others are smiling in anticipation of what we all decide to do on polling day. all right, mate? the country is choosing 73 meps. they'll be among 751 members of the european parliament. they approve eu laws, alongside the commission they appoint and scrutinise. and they approve the eu budget. as always, you put your x in a box for a party or an independent candidate. and the seats are allocated by region or nation according to the party's share of the vote. but in northern ireland,

you mark your preferences by number. counting's more complicated. and with some countries not voting until sunday, we won't get the results until then. and the parties? ukip won 24 seats last time. this time they're up against it. nigel farage's new brexit party is on the ballot. and it's been looking strong in the polls. the tories, now so split and struggling over brexit, were placed third last time with 19 seats. they're openly fearful of the same threat. labour took 20 seats last time, the party may be in better shape. but the brexit deadlock and trying to please remainers and brexiteers may cost labour support, too. will the greens grab support from the big parties? maybe helped by voters who were worried about climate change? the liberal democrats are hoping to gain ground, with the support of pro—european voters. and so is the new change uk party, and all those parties

want a fresh referendum. in scotland, the pro—eu, pro—referendum and pro—independence snp is defending two seats. in wales, plaid cymru has one, and in northern ireland at the dup, sinn fein and the ulster unionists have a seat each to defend. there's never been an election like this. a time quite like this. just ask a prime minister on borrowed time and running out of credit. and an opposition, anxious to show there is a credible alternative government in waiting. sir philip green's retail empire which owns topshop, burton and miss selfridge says it wants to close 23 shops and persuade nearly 200 landlords to accept lower rents. it has 566 stores in the uk and ireland and employs around 18,000 workers. 0ur correspondent emma simpson is outside its hq in central london. more trouble on the high street?

that is right. sir philip green used to be the king of the high street. he made his fortune out of all of these famous brands. you mentioned a few of them. at this once powerful retail empire is now in trouble. sales are falling and like a lot of other retailers it is up against rising costs and changing shopping habits. so he needs to cut costs and doa habits. so he needs to cut costs and do a deal with his landlords. he wa nts to do a deal with his landlords. he wants to close 23 stores in the uk and ireland and wind down 11 stores in the us. if this deal doesn't get approved, administration is a real possibility. so this is a pivotal moment for sir philip, who has never really been out of the headlines the last few years. and there is a pension deficit element to this story, too. he is offering to put in £100 million of his own money to make upfora £100 million of his own money to make up for a planned reduction in pension contributions. the question is, will this be enough to convince the pension protection fund, who is also a creditor, and i understand has a meaningful vote on this coming

two weeks' time? the parole board has ruled that one of britain's most notorious criminals, kenneth noye, should be released from prison. noye is serving a life sentence for stabbing to death 21—year—old stephen cameron in kent in 1996 in what was described a road rage attack. the parole board said he no longer posed a risk to the public. tom symonds reports. 1998. kenneth noye, smiling, but his time on the run in spain had come to an end. two years earlier, at an m25 junction, 21—year—old stephen cameron got into a road rage argument with him. he could not have known he was confronting a notorious criminal. noye stabbed him to death. he'd just finished a sentence for helping the brink's—mat robbers hide their stolen gold. 19 years later, he is to be freed from an open prison in kent. the parole board said he had addressed his tendency to use violence in certain conditions, and he demonstrated maturity about his situation, as well as greater insight into his past behaviour. but his victim's father said he was gutted,

and his mother said in 2015... life should mean life. he should stay there. he's shown no remorse. he killed our son. our son hasn't got a lie. i don't think you should ever come out. she died the following year. we can now read why kenneth noye has been released, because of pressure on the parole board to publish its decisions. and in two months‘ time, the ministry ofjustice will launch a scheme which allows victims of crime to appeal, if they don't agree. but too late for stephen's family. kenneth noye is being freed because the parole board believes he's no longer a threat to the public. tom symons, bbc news. the queen has been introduced to self—service supermarket shopping during a trip to a pop—up exhibition in central london to mark the 150th anniversary of sainsbury‘s. while being given a demonstration of a self—service till, she asked if customers could cheat the system. 0ur royal correspondents

sarah campbell has more. not a regular supermarket shopper. the queen was taken on a tour today of sainsbury‘s through the decades. quality milk, you get quality cheese. actors and fake food helped to tell the story from its humble beginnings, selling just butter, milk and eggs. and will show us her ration book. in conversation with lord and lady sainsbury, reflecting on wartime deprivations. especially a lack of sugar. and few things have changed more than the way shoppers pay. so, contactless payment... the queen was given a quick tutorial on how to use a self—service till. her concern, could unscrupulous shoppers leave without paying?

her majesty was assured there are systems in place to prevent this. and so ended the glimpse into everyday life for a monarch who in her 93 years has only twice before publicly visited a supermarket. time for a look at the weather. here's helen willetts. the sun was shining at least for many today. shopping or not shopping. but we did have some rain. this is how it looked in the highlands of scotland. it was quite, and still is quite a grey day, with outbreaks of rain, close to low pressure. for the vast majority we have seen sunny skies. not everybody wa nts, have seen sunny skies. not everybody wants, andi have seen sunny skies. not everybody wants, and i know we need the rain at the moment, but there is no sign of any much—needed rain except in the north for the next few days. we do have a little bit of cloud creeping into the south, but it will bring nothing more than a nuisance value rain. for most, evening and

night will keep the sunshine under starry skies, a little bit cool in the countryside. a few showers around the humber that could catch you out this evening. the temperatures are generally not too low. a bit of mist and fog where we have had the moisture today. tomorrow, the main difference is probably that the rain pulls back a little bit across the north—east of scotland. and that we pick up just a bit more clout for parts of cornwall and pembrokeshire, and northern ireland, compared with today. not as sony, the afternoon. elsewhere, fair weather cloud bubbling up. we are only a month or so from where the peak uv levels come. the uv levels are forecast high again tomorrow. temperatures will leap up probably a degree upon what we have had today. again, feeling warm in the sunshine. another warm day to come on friday. friday to see the threat of a few more showers over northern ireland and eventually across wales and the midlands. we are picking up a bit of rain from those showers coming in. not a great deal and not for everyone. still warm in the sunshine in between. those showers could catch a southern and eastern areas as we go through friday night and

into saturday. 0therwise, as we go through friday night and into saturday. otherwise, the weekend is set mostly fair in the south, but we do have some rain coming in on this weather front into the north and west. not dry for august bank holiday weekend, but it looks like it will stay mostly fine and settled in the south. that's all from the bbc news at six, so it's goodbye from me , and on bbc one we nowjoin the bbc‘s news teams where you are.

hello, this is bbc news. the headlines: it is time to go, prime minister. theresa may will meet with conservative backbenchers on friday as she comes under increasing pressure from her mps to step down.

the feeling is