the prime minister has lost the confidence of her party, parliament will not support, and she has lost the trust the people. it is time, prime minister, to go. one of britain's most notorious killers, kenneth noye, who stabbed a 21—year—old man to death in a road—rage attack is to be released from jail. coming up on afternoon live, all the sport — that's with 0lly foster.. ada hegerberg is the bbc women's player of the year again, but the world's best female player won't be playing on the biggest stage this summer as she continues to make a stand for equality in the sport. thanks, 0lly, and helen willets has all the weather. we will take a look forward at what is happening later in the week and possibly the bank holiday weekend, also the extremes that we currently in the usa, more on that later. also coming up, unexpected item at the checkout. the queen marks sainsbury‘s 150th anniversary, visiting a replica of one of its original stores and cutting into a cake produced by the baker behind the wedding cake for harry and meghan. british steel has gone into receivership, following the failure of rescue talks between the government and the company's owner, greybull. it means 5,000 jobs are at risk, including 3,000 at the company's plant in scu nthorpe. the move also endangers thousands more jobs in the wider supply chain. the uk's second—biggest steel maker has been seeking millions of pounds of support to help it deal with what it called "brexit—related issues". the government says it will work with the company to try to secure its future. sarah walton reports. the steel plant in scunthorpe dominates the landscape. it also dominates life, with 3000 people from the town working in the plant. today, their future, like the company's is unclear. it's notjust this town that gets affected, it's everywhere around it. that's a lot of people's lives up in the air. if it goes, the town will disappear, really. there is all your little businesses, there will be nothing here. i feel that the steelworks is the lifeblood of the town. basically, it's the heart of the town. if the heart stops beating, services, retail, everything else will be affected massively. british steel employs 5000 people across the uk and abroad, but it's thought the company supports a further 20,000 jobs in its supply chain. it's notjust the people directly employed by the contractors that rely on the steelworks forjobs, house prices, people aren't going to be able to buy houses if they haven't got a regular income. today's news is the latest blow in the long decline of steel—making, which was once the bedrock of british engineering. the industry now employs just 10% of the number of people it did a0 years ago. that's largely due to increased competition from abroad. in the last two years, china has produced more steel than the uk it has in its entire history. now british steel's current problems are being linked to a drop in orders from european customers because of uncertainty over leaving the eu. brexit causes uncertainty and additional costs. the uncompetitive business landscape in the uk. but actually, there is a good business there behind what british steel do. they make excellent railway a world leader in supplying rail. the scunthorpe site has been rescued before. in 2016 it was bought from tata steel for £1. earlier this week, british steel appealed to the government for an emergency loan. today the prime minister was asked why that wasn't provided. it's clear that it would be unlawful to provide a guarantee or loan on the terms requested. we will be working with the company and the official receiver in the days and weeks ahead to ensure we can pursue every step to secure the future of the operations at scunthorpe, skinningrove and teesside. the chancellor has also agreed an indemnity for the official receiver to enable british steel to continue to operate in the immediate future. there will now be attempts to find a buyer and staff will still be paid. in a region proud of its steel—making heritage, the future of the plant is about more than just money. well, we're joined now by marcel goldenberg, the markets and methodology development manager at s&p global platts, an independent information provider for prices and analytics for the energy and commodities markets. thank you forjoining us, i think a lot of people will wonder, is there is just lot of people will wonder, is there isjust a lot of people will wonder, is there is just a british lot of people will wonder, is there isjust a british problem, or is this a european problem that we are seeing manifested here? it is a european problem, but the british steel industry is being hit by the uncertainty about brexit, british steel are just the latest u nfortu nate steel are just the latest unfortunate problem, we have seen meridian going into administration, they were being taken over, brexit uncertainty, as i mentioned, is something that is an issue because companies on the continent don't know how to interact with the industry in the future. when you say interact, they don't feel able to put in an order? a lot of steel is being used in the automotive industry, and it is operating on just in time. we don't know what our future relationships might become a of european automotive companies will try to minimise exposure to this risk from the british steel industry. margins are tight, that is an understatement, isn't it? absolutely, demand is weak, automotive demand is weak, you have automotive demand is weak, you have a lot of supply coming into europe at the moment. 0ne a lot of supply coming into europe at the moment. one of the reference prices is down i6% year on year, thatis prices is down i6% year on year, that is what they receive when they sell steel. 0n the import side, i know is another thing, that is at a five year high, so the margins are really being compressed, it is hard to operate. a lot of people say, look at what china is producing, the bulk it is producing, how it is difficult to compete against that. absolutely, and that is one of the problems for europe in itself, we pride ourselves in looking at the economy, emissions, so that adds extra cost to prices, power prices are higher here than in china and other parts of the world, so that is putting strains on, and that is why we are seeing issues in the british and european industry. and this is why they asked for a loan? yes, that is more or less related to brexit uncertainty is, you have got european emissions trading scheme going on, and they issue carbon credits in february every year, and they can use them for the previous year to pay off the emissions they have done. with uncertainty on brexit, the british government can't issue those credits, so it could have been avoided if there was clarity around brexit. america, the us industry, they are in talks about removing tariffs with canada and mexico — globally, what needs to happen for... well, the hope is that british steel can come to an agreement and stay, but what do they need to do to compete? one of the things that you see at the moment, some are cutting production in europe, so i cut in production in europe, so i cut in production in europe obviously puts relief on them, they are trying to achieve higher prices on the sale and to relieve the margins, that is something that the industry is working towards. are not a uniquely british problem. it is a global market, and it is a problem across the world. could have you to come in. —— good of you to come in. theresa may has been defending her new brexit plan in parliament, in the face of widespread opposition, and calls for her to step down. speaking in the commons, theresa may said the deal was the best way to deliver the brexit the country had voted for. yesterday, she promised to allow mps to hold a vote on another referendum, to try to secure cross—party support for her agreement. but labour have said they won't back it, and there is renewed speculation among conservative mps about her future. 0ur chief political correspondent, vicki young, is in the central lobby of the houses of parliament. nikki, quite difficult for the prime minister, lots of shouting from her own backbenchers as she was on her feet today. —— vicki. own backbenchers as she was on her feet today. -- vicki. very little support from her own side, and a lot of mps not there, many of the cabinet at the beginning of all of this, because they were meeting elsewhere, particularly the brexiteers who are very unhappy about all of this, although it has to be said that cabinet presumably signed off on all of this yesterday, there were no resignations, so they must have a graded at the time. but it has not gone down well with anybody, the opposition parties, and anybody, the opposition parties, and a number of conservatives against it has risen overnight, and really, in a statement this lunchtime, downing street saying that it won't be easy to get it through, which is, yeah, putting it mildly, i think. the prime minister sounding very determined, it sounds like she is not going anywhere and still thinks her deal is the best option, and she is very much in urging mps to think carefully, particularly those who say they don't want a no—deal scenario, saying it is very much time for them to look at what she has got another. mr speaker, mrspeaker, in time mr speaker, in time another prime minister will be standing at this despatch box. but 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 spell, and we will not do so without holding votes on the issues that have divided us the most. that includes about some customs arrangements and on a second referendum. we can pretend otherwise and carry on arguing and getting nowhere. but in the end, ourjob in this house is to take decisions, not to duck them. sol this house is to take decisions, not to duck them. so i will put those decisions to this house, because thatis decisions to this house, because that is my duty, and because it is the only way that we can deliver brexit. you could hear the frustration that flies in the prime minister's voice, and when she was asked directly, are you determined to bring this bill to a vote after the recess, she said that she would be, and that has been confirmed again by downing street. but of course the issue of her authority, of her leadership, with so authority, of her leadership, with so many conservative mps angry and saying it is time that she stood down and passed his challenge on to another leader, that is really at the heart of a lot of this. you get the heart of a lot of this. you get the sense that there are mps on all sides are simply not listening to what theresa may has to say, and this was something, her authority, thejeremy this was something, her authority, the jeremy corbyn this was something, her authority, thejeremy corbyn picked up on as well. 0ur our country needs leadership to bring us together. however, these prime minister is not the person to do that! throughout the last three years, she has made no attempt to unite the country. she has been focused only on keeping her divided party together, and it hasn't worked! not gone well! and how time has now run out. she no longer has the authority to offer a compromise and cannot deliver. that is why it is time for a general election to break the brexit deadlock and gave the country i say! now, theresa may has promised a vote on whether to have another brexit referendum, infuriating many in her own party, but those parties, the opposition parties, like the snp, who want that to happen, they are not happy either. the prime minister has lost the confidence of her party, parliament will not support her, and she has lost the trust of the people. it is time, prime minister, to go. will you do it? a question that many people are asking, and! a question that many people are asking, and i will put it now to suella braverman, a conservative mp, and you have not backed the prime minister's deal, you are against it. just there the snp and jeremy corbyn saying it is time for the prime minister to resign, do you agree? well, i agree with the prime minister's statement, and she has made clear that she herself will be stepping down. the 1922 committee has requested her to set out a clear timetable, and she has made it clear that in the event that her bill is defeated, that she will be stepping down. and i think that that is the appropriate stage at where we are i'iow. appropriate stage at where we are now. you don't want her to go today, oi’ now. you don't want her to go today, or you don't think the cabinet should be making that challenge today? things have changed, this announcement that she is leading legislation which could introduce a second referendum does aggravate the situation, it causes a lot of problems for our party, 48 hours before the european elections, it is the worst timing possible, because i think it was our prospects tomorrow. and in 1922 committee is going to meet later today. ultimately, the 1922 committee is the body that represents me and speaks for conservative mps, so i will respect whatever decision they make, and they represent all spectrums of the party. explained the second referendum offer that she gave, just a vote, not saying there will be a second referendum, but mps could vote on it. that would have happened anyway, because any mp could amend legislation, i do not understand why it is upsetting conservatives so much when there is no majority it in the house of commons. much when there is no majority it in the house of commonslj much when there is no majority it in the house of commons. i was actually the house of commons. i was actually the bill minister for the withdrawal agreement spell macro when i was working in government, until i resigned in november. —— the withdrawal agreement bill. the contents of that did not include the prospect of a second referendum, so it has obviously changed a lot since november. i think the problem with this is that governments promulgate and pass legislation, parliament scrutinises and approves it. if the government is actually proposing and initiating this, this reflects government policy, and it also shows that the government is initiating something which is totally at odds with not only our conservative party manifesto from 2017, but also the 2016 referendum vote. as someone who voted to leave the european union, entertaining the possibility of a second referendum is wholly undemocratic and unacceptable. as you say, theresa may staying she will stand down, what do you want them to do, given that by the time it happens, we will be very close to the date which has been given in 0ctoberfor the date which has been given in october for the the date which has been given in 0ctoberfor the uk the date which has been given in october for the uk to leave. the date which has been given in october for the uk to leavelj the date which has been given in october for the uk to leave. i think it will be imperative upon the prime minister to set out... so that we can elect a new leader, both conservative mps and our thousands of members throughout the country. and that has to be a brexiteer? my preference is definitely for a brexiteer, we have learned over the la st brexiteer, we have learned over the last three years that sound bites and slogans like brexit means brexit are meaningless, and actions speak louder than words, and we need someone louder than words, and we need someone who has voted for brexit, campaign for brexit, someone who has takena campaign for brexit, someone who has ta ken a stance campaign for brexit, someone who has taken a stance and actually believes in delivering this result, which could mean a wto brexit or an enhanced deal. either of those options would satisfy me, and i am sure the 17.4 million people. suella braverman, thank you very much indeed. theresa may once again taking lots of questions about how to, sounding very determined to go ahead with that vote in a couple of weeks' time. vicki young, thank you very much. you're watching afternoon live, these are our headlines. british steel goes into receivership, putting 5000 jobs at risk, as talks between the government and the company's owner break down. the prime minister urges mps to back her new plans for brexit — amid signs that opposition from all sides is hardening. one of britain's most notorious killers — kenneth noye — who stabbed a 21—year—old man to death in a road rage attack — is to be released from jail. in sport, ada hegerberg is the bbc women's football of the air for a second time, she starred for his side lyon this season but will not be at the world cup in a protest of a greater equality in the women's game. arsenal says it is unacceptable that henrikh mkhitaryan does not feel able to travel to azerbaijan for the europa league final because of safety concerns. they will seek a meeting with uefa. and former captain andrew strauss as england's cricketers have the best opportunity to win the world cup, the hosts are favourite for the tournament which starts a week tomorrow. i will be back with a full update in the next 15 minutes. the parole board has ruled that one of britain's most notorious criminals, convicted killer kenneth noye, should be released from prison. noye is serving a life sentence for stabbing to death 21—year—old stephen cameron in a road—rage attack in kent in 1996. the victim's family were informed of the decision this morning. joining us now is our home affairs correspondent, danny shaw. no tories is the right word here. —— no tories. at the time, this was a huge case, a very violent man, so there will be eyebrows raised by this decision. indeed, his offending history stretches back to the 1960s, he was heavily involved in organised crime, he was involved in the brink's—mat robbery, the huge warehouse robbery near heathrow airport in 1983, and he was convicted of handling stolen gold. during the police investigation into that robbery, and undercover surveillance operation took place in his house, in the grounds of his house, during which he stabbed to death a police detective, he stabbed him ten times. he was put on trial for murder but was acquitted on the grounds of self—defence. two years after his release from prison for the brink's—mat robbery, he then stabbed stephen cameron to death, again, he argued that he acted in self defence, duejury again, he argued that he acted in self defence, due jury did not accept it. he has been in custody for over 20 years, and a parole board has now decided that his risks can be safely managed in the community. he turns 72 on friday. what detail do they give on that? particularly stephen cameron's family are going to be wondering how they have come to that decision. well, this is a very distressing decision for his family. his father, ken, has said that he is gutted by the decision. they made representations to the parole board panel and put forward their views that they felt that noye should stay in prison, but the board looked at the progress of kenneth noye while he had been in custody, we have a summary he had been in custody, we have a summary of theirfindings, he had been in custody, we have a summary of their findings, which say that witnesses describe his good conduct and compliance in prison, charted the progress he had made during his sentence, they said that he had demonstrated maturity about his situation, as well as greater insight into his past behaviour. according to these parole board summary, according to these parole board summary, he had demonstrated an ability to deal appropriately with potentially violent situations in prison and was clearly well motivated to avoid further offending in the community. and they went on to say that he had a proven ability to say that he had a proven ability to control his emotions. so very different from the situation that existed, you know, some 20 or so yea rs existed, you know, some 20 or so years ago. we perhaps need to explain he was sentenced to life with a explain he was sentenced to life witha minimum explain he was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 16 years, so he has served his time. is there an appeal procedure if the family wa nted appeal procedure if the family wanted to? he has served four years beyond his minimum term, in fact. there is a procedure, but the only thing that the family can do to contest the decision is go through the courts, through a judicial review, which is a very difficult process , review, which is a very difficult process, very expensive potentially, and no prospect necessarily, no guaranteed prospect of success. the reason for that is because there is a new mechanism, a new review system being put in place which will make it easierforfamilies being put in place which will make it easier for families to challenge these decisions, but it doesn't come into effect untiljuly, so until then the court is the only option open for the victim's family. i have to say, this decision is made by a panel including two judges and a psychologist, they will have gone through a huge dossier, i think over 400 page dossier, they will have analysed this decision very carefully, and i would have to be very strong grounds, i think, for overturning it. danny, thank you very much, danny shaw. marks & spencer has reported a 10% fall in profits, the third year in a row it's seen a decline. the retailer has posted a pre—tax profit of £523 million for the year to the end of march. the group said substantial changes across the business had affected this year's performance. the energy regulator 0fgem has imposed its biggest everfine on one of the country's leading gas distribution companies for leaving some customers without supplies for months. cadent, which is part—owned by the national grid, was fined £24 million and ordered to invest another £20 million in a community fund. the compa ny‘s shortcomings also included losing the records of customers in 775 high—rise buildings. a partial ban on single—use plastics — including straws, drinks stirrers and cotton buds — will come into effect in england next year. the government says urgent action is needed to tackle plastic pollution, but environmental groups say the measures, which will come into force in april next year, don't go far enough. british people living in france might not get a vote in tomorrow's european elections, because their postal voting forms have arrived late, or not at all. the bbc found that some local councils used a postal service called adare, rather than royal mail, and envelopes seen by the bbc indicate the forms were sent via the netherlands. adare says all ballots were posted "in line with the election and council timetables. " leigh milner reports. this envelope arrived at anne bohn's house in france two days ago. she's been told her postal vote won't make it back to the uk in time for thursday. the post over here in france told me that there was no chance of them arriving in time. for tony in southwestern france, well, he is still waiting for his. we feel disappointed and let down by not receiving our ballots for the european elections. and we wonder whether this is just a pure malfunction of the system or maybe even skulduggery. the reason? well, the clue is on the envelope. post nl means that the ballot papers were sent from the uk to france via the netherlands. adare is the postal service which a number of local councils in the uk used to send the ballot papers rather than royal mail, because it was more cost—effective. in a statement, adare told the bbc that the ballots had been released in line with the elections and council timetables. they insisted that they had used reputable mail handlers whose job it was to assess the best route through other european countries. in a statement, the electoral commission said it had no involvement in the distribution of postal votes for the european elections, adding that responsibility lay with local councils. with voting due to take place tomorrow, it's believed thousands of expats will miss out on the chance to have their say in the european elections. leigh milner, bbc news. it's amazing who you meet sometimes at the supermarket, isn't it? well, take a look at this. the queen has been introduced to self—service checkouts during a visit to mark the 150th anniversary of sainsbury‘s. she spent this morning at a replica of one of the company's original stores in covent garden. her majesty asked sainsbury‘s bosses if it was possible to "cheat" the self—service system. she was told it was always possible but the majority of shoppers were honest. but she doesn't carry cash! time for a look at the weather. helen willetts is here, we are entering storm season a little early, but we start with an a. we had a quite early in the season, officiallyjune we had a quite early in the season, officially june to we had a quite early in the season, officiallyjune to september, we are just approaching the middle or last pa rt just approaching the middle or last part of may, this is storm andrea, the most short lived in about 40 yea rs, the most short lived in about 40 years, almost record—breaking, it has fizzled out, but more serious weather, and i will tell you about that in a moment. but let's look at the storm names, there are some interesting ones. no simon, it is sebastien this year. nestor! and hearne bhutto and barry! i am going to tell you what was going on, it did vanish, sorry about that, are we going to go back? we will have a look at those again, there are quite a few of them. i will click again, we have seen andrea, we will have a look at the names again, here we go, here they come...! i was particularly impressed with humberto, hurricane humberto. tom was telling you about the weather in the states, i have no experiments, but it has been unusually cold, this was colorado, denver had three inches of snow, from the same storm system, the same one that has brought all this destruction to 0klahoma, to kansas, missouri. u nfortu nately, 0klahoma, to kansas, missouri. unfortunately, there is more to come, cold air coming in off the rockies, still a risk with us today, similarareas, rockies, still a risk with us today, similar areas, the southern plains, the midwest, tomorrow migrating northwards up into the ohio valley and the great lakes. we have seen about six inches, 150 millimetres of rain, so quite significant damage just outside 0klahoma rain, so quite significant damage just outside oklahoma city, quite unusual. we keep that for the next couple of days. and then we are going to get some record heat building, that will sustain the speed of warmth and moisture coming off the gulf of mexico pushing all this hot air northwards, so we could be looking at record—breaking temperatures for may across georgia, florida and the carolinas, so real extremes florida and the carolinas, so real extre m es of florida and the carolinas, so real extremes of weather, 40 year being broken at the moment. we had better have a look at what is happening closer to home, because if you like the sort of thing, it is warm and sunny. it is all in the news at the moment, climate change, global warming, we need some rain as well, but more sedate in the uk, so let's look at what is heading away for the next few days. not all plain sailing, we have had showers, as you can say, up in aberdeen, and in the lake district we have got the sunshine. by district we have got the sunshine. by contrast today, talking to one of the producers, having come from the midlands, quite chilly under this band of cloud, temperatures struggling into the mid teens, but this is the rain i talked about in scotland, for most sunshine continuing through the rest of the day, and given that it is late may now, the sun is strong, temperatures responding quite nicely, particularly in the light winds, it feels like the height of summer, even though we are still in spring. through this evening and overnight, welcome rain in scotland will continue, petering out across the central lowla nd continue, petering out across the central lowland belt, then this next band of rain and cloud coming in to the south and west, but under starry skies, six and seven in towns and cities, low in the countryside. for tomorrow, very similar picture for most of us, still rain across the north of scotland, the far north as well, then sunshine elsewhere. i will hand you back to simon. business minister greg clark is giving a statement on british deal, which has been put into liquidation. let's hear from which has been put into liquidation. let's hearfrom him. which has been put into liquidation. let's hear from him. we will work closely with all parties to secure the long—term success. following this agreement, the government has worked intensively with the company for many weeks to seek solutions to the broaderfinancial for many weeks to seek solutions to the broader financial challenges that it has been facing. the government and individual ministers can only act within the law, and that requires that any financial support to a steel company must be made on a commercial basis. in the case of the ets facility, that was on the future of ets advances. in order to provide liquidity to the business, the government was considering making a cash loan to the company and worked ha rd to cash loan to the company and worked hard to investigate exhaustively the possibilities of this. however, the absence of adequate security, no reasonable prospect of any loan being repaid, and the shareholders being repaid, and the shareholders being unwilling to provide a sufficient cash injection, meant this did not root that would meet the required legal tests. i'm placing in the library of the house, the accounting officer's assessments of these proposals, drawing on legal advice which concludes, and i quote, it would be unlawful to provide a guarantee or loan on the terms of any of the proposals that the company or any other party has made, 01’ company or any other party has made, orany company or any other party has made, or any others that we have considered. you must note that such an offer cannot be made legally, and by making it, you would be in breach of the ministerial code. the insolvency removes control from the day—to—day control of british steel. given the willingness to help secure its future demonstrated in the ets facility and the discussions that have taken place in recent weeks, the government will work closely with the official receiver and prospective new owners to achieve the best possible outcome for these sites. the government has provided an indemnity to the official receiver, who is now responsible for the operations. we will take every possible step to ensure that these vital operations can continue. that jobs are secure, and that the sites of scunthorpe, killing grove and on teesside will be continue to be centres of excellent steel working. in the days ahead, i will work with the receiver, the special managers and the british steel support group, trade unions, suppliers and customers to pursue remorselessly every step to secure the future of these valuable operations. this is a very worrying time for everyone associated with british steel. each of british steel's sites has a proud record of steel—making excellence, and i'm determined to see it continue. britain and the world will continue. britain and the world will continue to need high quality steel, and british steel is amongst the best in the world. today is a very big setback for these operations, but it is far from being the end, and we will take every step possible to secure a successful future for these vital assets for people and plant. rebecca long— bailey. thank you, and i thank the secretary for advanced sides of his statement. this is indeed very worrying news for the workers, their families, and the communities who work in british steel directly in scunthorpe, skinningrove and teesside, and throughout the supply chain. all those people will have been worried sick this morning, wondering if they will have a job this time next week. as the secretary knows, however, the sector is critical to our manufacturing base, and is strategically important for government, for procurement from rail all the way through to defence. it is therefore imperative given the government now has some degree of control via the official receiver that this business is stabilised and confidence is given to customers, workers and businesses right across the supply chain. the message from government today must be that british steel is one of the linchpins of our industrial strategy, and to that end, it will move heaven and earth to ensure business as usual continues. it is reported that the owners, grable capital, were asking the government for a loan of 30 million. the shadow minister for steel asked for more information yesterday but we were given none. can the secretary today confirm what the asks of british steel were in the negotiations? where theyjust a reported 30 million, or was that part of a wider package of measures to support steel production? i welcome the publication of the accounting officer's assessment, but can the secretary confirm grable capital's reason for asking for a loan while reportedly being unwilling to put money on the table and simultaneously investing over £40 million in a french steelworks last week? the secretary of state has said in his press statement today that he will pursue remorselessly every possible step to secure the future i and the valuable operations in sites at scunthorpe, skinningrove, and on teesside, and i welcome this. i also welcome the indemnity he has referred to, but can he outline exactly what other possible steps he will be pursuing in the coming days? do they include bringing british steel into public ownership, as unite the union and the labour party have called for? do they include discussions with other interested stakeholders to examine options for saving the company, including with network rail, who procu res including with network rail, who procures 95% of their rails from the scunthorpe procures 95% of their rails from the scu nthorpe site ? procures 95% of their rails from the scunthorpe site? it is clear we simply can't countenance warm words and no real action, as was the case with the ss! steelworks, almost four years ago. the truth of the matter is, the cost of british steel collapsing is far greater than any short—term outlay the government must make now. the institute for public policy research has estimated that british steel's collapse could lead to £28 billion in lost wages, {1.1 lead to £28 billion in lost wages, £1.1 billion in lost revenue, and extra benefit payments and reduced household spending by £1.2 billion over ten years. this is a significant economic disturbance, if the secretary would like to dust off his state aid handbook. we know network rail sources 99% of their 95% of their rails from scunthorpe. last year, they signed a £2 million contract with the company. the loss of the supply would have serious consequences for network rail's cost base and the quality of the steel used to maintain and upgrade the british rail network. notwithstanding the great commitment by network rail to british steel, however, we also know the government's wider public procurement of uk steel has been disappointing, with only 43% of steel used in government projects traced to firms based in the uk, according to uk steel analysis. can the secretary confirm today what steps he is taking to positively procure british steel for more of our key infrastructure projects? finally, there is no doubt that the uk steel industry is in a difficult place. uncertainty about future trade with the eu and the dangling prospect of no deal are having a severe impact. domestic issues like uncompetitive electricity prices, business rates and lack of support for steel in the so—called industrial strategy are also undermining the sector's ability to compete. but uk steel has a proud history in the uk, and there is no reason why this cannot continue. so the ball is in the government's court. it can take action now to save british steel and support the wider industry, or they can accept that their legacy will yet again be industrial decline. 0n that their legacy will yet again be industrial decline. on this side of the house, we know what side of history we want to be on, and i hope the secretary wants the same thing. secretary of state. i'm gratefulfor the secretary of state. i'm grateful for the spirit in which the honourable lady approached the response to the statement. recognising that there is a total common purpose across both sides of the house to provide the confidence for new investors to be able to take on these assets and all of us, wherever we are in this chamber, wa nt wherever we are in this chamber, want this to be a change of ownership rather than something that isa ownership rather than something that is a stop when it comes to steel production, because she is right to refer to ssi, and she and my colleague next to her from middlesbrough will recall the situation in corus that took place in 2010. one thing we know about steel assets is that they are not like other kinds of facilities, that once they close, it is very difficult for them to come back into life, so it seems to me we have a special responsibility to make every effort to ensure that there is no interruption whatsoever in the production, and that is my purpose, andi production, and that is my purpose, and i see it reflected in what she said. iagree and i see it reflected in what she said. i agree with her on the strategic importance of steel. it is a strategic opportunity as well, because this country in the world is a lwa ys because this country in the world is always going to need steel, and british steel is among the best in the world, and so we should be looking to supply it. i think my commitment has been demonstrated in the move that i made to provide £120 million to make sure not only that that liability was addressed under the ets, but crucially, if we had not removed that liability, it would have hung over the assets, preventing any new partner from taking them on. she asks about the reports of the 30 million. the assessment of the accounting officer gives more information on this. in fact, that is 30 million which was not for a permanent refinancing of british steel. that was for a contribution to an administration, and the assessment was that the contribution from all parties would not be enough to withstand the cost requirements during that administration. but she will understand and see very clearly laid out the assessment of the proposals that were given. i have been exhaustive in pursuing over many weeks now possibilities with british steel. we are going to leave that. the business secretary greg clark saying the government has shown willingness to act over the problems of british steel, but said they could only act within the law, and that requires only financial —— any financial support for a steel company to be a legal basis, and that would be unlawful. labour's shadow business secretary rebecca long bailey already calling for the company to be nationalised. soa for the company to be nationalised. so a statement there and british steel, both agreeing this was a very worrying time. we will look more at theissues worrying time. we will look more at the issues facing british steel throughout the afternoon here on afternoon live, where it is now time to look at the sport, and the latest from 0llie foster. ada hegerberg is the bbc women's player of the year for the second time. she also won in 2017. but she is at loggerheads with the norwegian federation, and has refused to play for the national team for almost two yea rs. for the national team for almost two years. this is notjust about pay, because norway were lauded for bringing equal pay for men and women backin bringing equal pay for men and women back in december 2017. she had already boycotted the team by then. she says it is about a lack of respect for female players and attitudes. she is making the ultimate sacrifice as well, because she is the best player in world football at the moment. another incredible season with lyon, and she scored a hat—trick on saturday as his side won the champions league for a fourth year in a row. the women's world cup starts in a couple of weeks in france, she won't be there. she is only 23. she will be sorely missed, but she is standing by her decision. it's not all is about money, either. it's not all is about money, either. it is the —— it is all about attitude and respect. for young girls, giving them the same opportunity as boys, giving them the same chance to dream, everything. it's about everything, and if you change those attitudes, in the beginning of things, things will automatically change as well, i think. arsenal will seek talks with uefa as a matter of urgency because the situation regarding the europa league final next time next week. —— this time next week. they say it is unacceptable that their player does not feel acceptable to travel. he is the captain of armenia. relations between the bordering countries are strained, to say the least, between azerbaijan and armenia. a long history of tensions and conflict between the countries. it is said a comprehensive safety plan was put in place to guarantee his safety. azerbaijan say that as well, but arsenal are very angry he has had to make that personal decision. amnesty international have increased the pressure in uefa, saying azerbaijan must not be allowed to sports wash its appalling human rights record. tyson fury says a world heavyweight title rematch with deontay wilder is likely next year. while they retained his wbc belt with a thrilling draw against fury in los angeles in december. we knocked out fellow american dominic brazil on friday. fury says corus can't run forever, and the fight should happen in the spring of 2020. now, time for asked this. tomorrow, voters will go to the polls in elections to the european parliament. originally, the uk wasn't due to take part — but that changed because of the delay to brexit. here to answer your questions about tomorrow's european elections are chris morris, our reality check correspondent, and adam fleming, our brussels correspondent. adam is in brussels. we will start with you. this from peter. is the european election first past the post? is that how it works? no, the eu treaties which set out the kind of broad parameters of how the european parliament works said that the meps should be elected by a sort of proportional voting system. that means you get a sort of proportional voting system. they vary across the eu, but the uk uses one called the d'hondt system, which i'm sure chris would like to tell you all the details of, and in northern ireland, the single transferable vote. if you ignore the complexities of it, it is a more proportional system whereby the number of mps the parties get a more reflective of their votes that they achieve overall compared to first past the post, which is used for the general election, where it isa for the general election, where it is a winner takes all. do you think chris needs to explain more, or is that enough? what do you think you think? i think that was adequate. adequate, yes. 0k, think? i think that was adequate. adequate, yes. ok, you take this one from sharon. what happens to the new meps if we end up leaving six months from now? well, if we leave at the end of october, they would also leave the eu parliament at the end of october, and of the 73 british mep seats, 46 would be abolished, and the others would be abolished, and the others would be abolished, and the others would be redistributed, 27 among other countries who feel they have been underrepresented in the past. so it's quite awkward for the eu parliament, and one question we have had a lot is, what happens to things like pension and that sort of thing? well, an mep does get a pension, and also a transitional allowance for when they leave the european parliament, but you only get those payments, including the pension, if you have served as an mep for a year. so if these meps, if we were to leave at the end of october, and they were to leave the parliament, no pension and no transition allowa nce. 0k. allowa nce. ok. this is from helen, but we have discussed this before. she says, i have been sent an e—mail about the impact of the lisbon treaty under uk law if we were to remain in the eu. would the uk have tojoin law if we were to remain in the eu. would the uk have to join the law if we were to remain in the eu. would the uk have tojoin the euro? now, and it's something that went round quite widely a few months ago on social media, no. that everyone would force to be joining the euro after 2020. we have a series of opt outsif after 2020. we have a series of opt outs if we were to remain in. our t outs if we were to remain in. our opt out from joining the euro would remain. denmark has the same thing. countries that have joined since 2004, and have had to express the intention ofjoining, 2004, and have had to express the intention of joining, like 2004, and have had to express the intention ofjoining, like poland, but there is no absolute mechanism for forcing them to do so. poland says they intend to join for forcing them to do so. poland says they intend tojoin in for forcing them to do so. poland says they intend to join in the future, but there is no obligation on us tojoin future, but there is no obligation on us to join the euro future, but there is no obligation on us tojoin the euro if future, but there is no obligation on us to join the euro if we future, but there is no obligation on us tojoin the euro if we were to remaina memberafter on us tojoin the euro if we were to remain a memberafter2020. back to brussels. adam, this from colin. if the uk reduces its tariffs to zero in particular items, to the other wto countries have to reciprocate? no, because wto trade rules say that the country you are talking about has to treat everyone else at the same, and they are under no obligation to treat you the same, so it is about how you treat your trading partners, not how they treat you. chris, this is a big one. if there isa chris, this is a big one. if there is a hard brexit without any deal, they will revert to wto rules, and there are still a lot of confusion about what that actually means. yes, basically, at the moment, we have a free trade agreement with the eu, the single market and the customs union, which mean stuff coming in from the eu, we don't pay any tariffs on. if we wanted to keep that at zero, we would need tariffs from the rest of the world down to zero as well, because it must be the same, as adam says. but let's say argentinian beef or something, we let that in tariff free, argentina will be under no obligation to reciprocate, and that's one of the problems. the only way you both have tariff free trade going both ways is if you have a free trade agreement, and if you leave no deal, well, there is no deal. tracy asks, my question is, if there is to be a second referendum, will mps abide by the result if it is again the decision of the people to leave the eu? the suggestion, there, that it has not abided with the decision the first time round. that it has not abided with the decision the first time roundlj think, and i have heard many people say this, there is no obligation on anyone, and they could still campaign to remain if they had been two leave votes, but i have certainly heard a series of influential voices on the remain side saying if there were to be another referendum in the country voted to leave again, that would be that. the campaign to remain in the eu would then not continue. once we left, it would not surprise me if that remain campaign then coalesced into a rejoin campaign in the future, as you have a right to do in any democratic system, but i suspect they will be some holdouts, but most people would accept that a second referendum would be fairly final. adam, when you go to dinner parties, like you do most nights, i know, in brussels, is there a sense that the uk will maybe change its mind? over time, the number of people that have hopes and dreams that that would happen has fallen. it has gone down and down and down, and you are left with basically donald tusk being the only high—profile person, as president of the european council, saying publicly he hoped that might happen. earlier this year, even he, the most optimistic of everyone, said, you know what you back it won't happen. there is no groundswell of support for it in the uk, northe groundswell of support for it in the uk, nor the political leadership no political will to make it happen. even he had given up on it. however, in the last few weeks or months, he has started to dare to dream again, and he did an interview last week where he put the chances of a second referendum and the british people changing their mind and staying in at 30%, but you then start to think about it and realise numbers like that are pretty meaningless. this from roger. is it true the referendum was advisory? so why is the government obsessed with getting the government obsessed with getting the country out of the eu whatever the country out of the eu whatever the cost? it was technically advisory, yes. it is not a legal requirement to tell it implement the result. it was a promise. but remember the leaflet that came through every door. it said, this is your decision, the government will implement what you decide. i think that is the basis for theresa may and other saying, we have made a promise to the electorate, now we must deliver it. the problem is, as we have found out over nearly three years, we voted for brexit, but no one decided what that meant. adam, in brussels, from dave. does the uk have an international treaty obligation to pay the uk £39 billion? well, there was an infamous house of lords committee report right at the start of the brexit negotiations that said no, the uk was under no international legal obligation to pay a penny. then the negotiations got under way, and the uk and eu agreed that the uk would pay for commitments it made when it was a member. in other words, spending commitments and pledges made would be reflected and lived up to a 28, so the uk would still pay its financial obligations, and that has been enshrined in the withdrawal agreement, which if it is parsed and ratified in the uk, which i realise seems like a slightly mad statement this afternoon, that would be the uk's international treaty obligation to pay its financial obligations. if there was no deal and the uk leaves without ratifying the withdrawal agreement, the eu says that if you, the uk, want to come back to the table and negotiate a permanent free trade agreement, which you will probably need for future relations between london and brussels to keep the economy ticking over, one of the preconditions for starting those negotiations will be, guess what? the uk signing up to financial obligations it made to the eu when it was a member. adam, thank you very much. that's the latest from brussels. and to you, sir, as ever, thank you very much, chris morris. more on ask this later today as we continue the series of interviews with the main party standing in the election. we've already spoken to the liberal democrats, the brexit party, ukip, the greens, the snp, change uk, labour and the conservatives. and at 5.30 today we'll be speaking to the leader of plaid cymru, adam price. so if you have a question, send them in via text on 61124, tweet using the hashtag bbc ask this, or email askthis@bbc.co.uk now, a united nations—backed report says public spending cuts over the last eight years have led to high levels of poverty in many parts of britain. this is the conclusion of professor philip alston, an investigator on extreme poverty who toured the uk last november. he warns that unless policies change, people on low incomes seem the comments have infuriated ministers. here's our social affairs correspondent, michael buchanan. for nearly a fortnight last november, philip alston toured the uk, listening and talking to some of the country's poorest residents. what he found appalled him — a nationwide network of food banks, rising levels of child poverty and homelessness, as well as huge cuts to benefits, policing and legal aid. in a blistering report today, he says the changes since 2010 are the consequences of a deliberate choice. politicians, he says, chose to target the poor, and continue to do so. the chancellor has consistently used any excess funds for other purposes, whether it's tax cuts, whether it's to bring down the debt even further, while all this misery is going on around. professor alston describes the department for work and pensions as being asked to produce a digital version of the 19th century workhouse, saying that a harsh and uncaring ethos has emerged. ministers have described the report as a barely believable documentation of britain, saying they spend £95 billion annually on working age benefits. privately, they are understood to be furious and are exploring ways of complaining to the un. jamie is here with the business news. inflation figures out today. what do they show? up upa up a little bit from 1.9 to 2.1. the reason is, not that exciting figures, but the bit i find quite shocking as electricity and gas prices going up by about 10% each, thatis prices going up by about 10% each, that is because the capital price was raised to allow that to happen. all companies took full advantage of that, but a 10% rise in your gas and electricity prices is quite a shock to some people. with us is nina skewer from the centre of business research. do we see a change in direction of inflation at the moment? if you look at it in the last 6—7 years, it is pretty much where it has been. well, the latest movement we saw in today's data was an uptick in inflation, not a huge one, but some of the categories within the overall index saw quite a sharp rise, and a head of the upward adjustment in the off gem cap, we have seen a record number of households switching their energy suppliers. we certainly see that even suppliers. we certainly see that even the overall level of inflation has not spiked that much, certainly the higher cost of certain items as impacting households. what will be the main pressures on inflation in the coming months? i think two items to look out for our, energy prices, so it takes some months for the global oil and energy prices to feed into the inflation index, soi prices to feed into the inflation index, so i think it will be important to see what is happening with iran and the middle east, what is happening with global trade, because these are all factors that impact the cost of energy. secondly, i think it's important to keep an eye on what is happening in terms of the value of the pound, because certainly in the last couple of years, there has been one of the main points of shock in terms of inflation. any sign that the monetary policy committee at the bank of england will put up interest rates from these kind of figures? i don't think we should read today's inflation figures are something that will massively change the course of directions for the mpc, so we saw cpi at1.2% directions for the mpc, so we saw cpi at 1.2% of the target is 2%. it isjust barely cpi at 1.2% of the target is 2%. it is just barely above target. cpi at 1.2% of the target is 2%. it isjust barely above target. of course, the bank of england takes a broader view, and given the huge amounts of uncertainty and the numerous downside risks for the uk economy, i think the most action we can expect from mpc this year would potentially be one rate hike at the end of 20 2019, no more than that. thank you, nina skero. a quick look at the markets? yes, royal mail i put in there, because they are bringing in a second daily parcel delivery, and people are very excited about that. they seem to be doing reasonably well. a 6% rise in their shares. headlines coming up. let's look at the weather in the with helen. thank you very much indeed. higood thank you very much indeed. hi good afternoon. plenty of sunshine around across the uk at the moment, but that is not everyone's a cup of tea. not a large amount of rain in the forecast in the coming days, except for the north of the country, where we have most of our rain today as well. a few spots on this week where the front starting. this week where the front dry weather for most, the this week where the front dry weatherfor most, the rain continuing for scotland. it peters out a bit and becomes more and limited to the north and east overnight, but by then, we pick up more cloud and rain into the south and west. for most of us, clear and ghoulish night, nothing too a yet this time of year, and then mist and fog first thing, early in the morning, gone before the rush hour for most of us, then plenty more sunshine. more clout than a spot of drizzle, but the main rain in the north and east, limiting temperature. for most, a little higher than today, feeling warmer and those light winds. very little change into friday, but some rain in store for the north over the weekend. more later. hello, you're watching afternoon live, i'm simon mccoy. today at three: theresa may is urging mps to back her new plans for brexit, amid signs that opposition from all sides is hardening. she has been focused only on keeping her divided party together, and it hasn't worked! not gone well! and her time has now run out! the prime minister has lost the confidence of her party, parliament will not support her, and she has lost the trust the people. it is time, prime minister, to go. british steel goes into receivership, putting 5000 jobs at risk, as talks between the government and the company's owner break down. one of britain's most notorious killers, kenneth noye, who stabbed a 21—year—old man to death in a road—rage attack, is to be released from jail. coming up on afternoon live all the sport, that's with olly foster. ada hegerberg is the bbc women's player of the year again, but the world's best female player won't be playing on the biggest stage this summer as she continues to make a stand for equality in the sport. now from her later in the programme. helen willetts is looking at the weather. plenty more strong sunshine to come through the rest of today, andindeed to come through the rest of today, and indeed for the next couple of days, the most significant rain likely in the north, i will you about that later, as well as the extreme weather taking place in the united states. also coming up, unexpected item at the checkout. the queen marks sainsbury‘s150th anniversary, visiting a replica of one of its original stores and cutting into a cake produced by the baker behind the wedding cake for harry and meghan. hello, everyone, this is afternoon live, i'm simon mccoy. theresa may has been defending her new brexit plan in parliament, in the face of widespread opposition and calls for her to step down. speaking in the commons, theresa may said the deal was the best way to deliver the brexit the country had voted for. yesterday, she promised to allow mps to hold a vote on another referendum, to try to secure cross—party support for her agreement. but labour have said they won't back it, and there is renewed speculation among conservative mps about her future. let's get the thoughts of our chief political correspondent, vicki young, who is in the central lobby of the houses of parliament. if you look at twitter, it looks like things are happening behind the scenes. it is a confused picture, as it often is, and that is because only yesterday the cabinet signed off on this deal, this bill, and yet today there are murmurings, and there is anger, and there is talk that there might be some in the cabinet who will move against her, because it does feel as if she is not going to go anywhere, she sounded determined today to try to get her bill through parliament. but we do know that david mundell, the scottish secretary, is going to say the prime minister this afternoon. he is another who is particularly unhappy about the prospect of another vote on a referendum. he is worried, as scottish secretary, that it will lead to renewed calls from the snp and others to say, if you can have two referendums on leaving the eu, why not another on independence for scotland ? the eu, why not another on independence for scotland? a particular issue for him, i think. theresa may will say that she is not in favour of another referendum, because she is saying, look, if the numbers are in the house of commons, people can vote for that anyway. but it is certainly the case that having presented these compromises, as she would see them, but it has not done much to change peoples minds. on the conservative side, people are moving against her, and more who had swung behind the last time are now saying they will do so. this was a pitch to mps earlier. mrspeaker, in time, another prime minister will be standing at this despatch box. but 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, and we will not do so without holding votes on the issues that have divided us the most. that includes votes on customs arrangements and on a second referendum. we can pretend otherwise and carry on arguing and getting nowhere. but in the end, ourjob in this house is to take decisions, not to duck them. so i will put those decisions to this house, because that is my duty, and because it is the only way that we can deliver brexit. so there is very much now caught up with theresa may's authority, or diminishing authority, as some would say it, and there is a meeting this afternoon at the 1922 committee, representing backbenchers on the conservative side, still talking about whether to change the rules so that her leadership could be challenged again come the middle of june. others are saying, if you look at the prospect for the conservatives in the european elections on thursday, results on sunday, could she even survived that if the conservatives are wiped out and lose massive support to the brexit party? it wasjeremy corbyn who actually launched a pretty personal attack on the prime minister as well earlier. our country needs leadership to bring us together. however, this prime minister is not the person to do that! throughout the last three years, she has made no attempt to unite the country. she has been focused only on keeping her divided party together, and it hasn't worked! not gone well! and now time has now run out. she no longer has the authority to offer a compromise and cannot deliver. that is why it is time for a general election to break the brexit deadlock and gave the country a say! now, the offer of a vote on another referendum is what upset in a lot of conservative mps, and the problem that theresa may has is that the parties are in favour of another referendum, and many labour mps, they don't think she has gone far enough. this is what the snp had to say. the prime minister has lost the confidence of her party, parliament will not support her, and she has lost the trust of the people. it is time, prime minister, to go. will you do it? let's discuss this now, i am joined by labourmp let's discuss this now, i am joined by labour mp stephen kinnock, and lots of mps are saying they want another referendum, they want to stop no—deal, and yet the way to do it is to vote for this bill at second reading, why is it not happening? a bloody horrifying prospect we face is crashing out of the eu in october with no deal at all, it would be a catastrophe for the british economy, bad for national security, so mps need to come together and do whatever they can to to prevent a no—deal brexit. with theresa may potentially being replaced by a hardline brexiteer, this bill is the only parliamentary route, it has to be passed at second reading, soi route, it has to be passed at second reading, so i hope that when the bill is published tomorrow, mps will ta ke bill is published tomorrow, mps will take a very close look at it and think what they are doing, because at the moment we are playing with fire. you are in a constituency which voted to leave, your constituents must be urging you to deliver on brexit, and you say that you do want to deliver on the last referendum, so surely you yourself will have to vote for the second reading. i really want to see the labour whip coming reading. i really want to see the labourwhip coming in reading. i really want to see the labour whip coming in behind a sensible compromise position, because i think we have said right from the outset that our top priority is to avoid crashing out of the european union without a deal. the only way to avoid that is to get the withdrawal agreement bill over the withdrawal agreement bill over the line for second reading, and then of course we have plenty of opportunity at committee stage two amended or even vote against it at the final report stage, so this is not the end of the story, but as things stand, it looks like the brexit party is going to do very well in these european elections, that will complete the process of turning the conservative party into a no—deal party, so we need to act rapidly to prevent that from happening, and in my opinion the only way to do that is to get the withdrawal agreement bill over the line. any sounds from jeremy corbyn that he will listen to that argument? the big issue is around the second referendum, and colleagues who are campaigning for a second referendum want to be prime minister to put that into the second reading of the withdrawal agreement will on the face of the bill, as the jargon goes. there is absolutely no evidence that the prime minister will do that, she repeated many times today that she will not put it on the face of the bill at second reading, but she has promised to give parliament a set piece debate and a vote on it at committee stage. that is the best we are going to get, so! that is the best we are going to get, so i hope colleagues campaigning fora get, so i hope colleagues campaigning for a second referendum will engage with the world as it is, not with the world as they would like it to be, and recognise that the only way they will get what they wa nt the only way they will get what they want is by getting the withdrawal bill to the committee stage. that is what has been happening for three yea rs, what has been happening for three years, people are looking at what is in front of them, and even though it might deliver what they want, they are not willing to compromise in any way at all, and that has been a failure of parliament, for people in your constituency who voted to leave. vicki, as you know, i have been trying to campaign for common market 2.0, norway style brexit, for three years now, i saw that as a compromise, 52—48 as a mandate to move compromise, 52—48 as a mandate to move house would stay in the same neighbourhood, and we wanted a deal to protectjobs neighbourhood, and we wanted a deal to protect jobs but neighbourhood, and we wanted a deal to protectjobs but which neighbourhood, and we wanted a deal to protect jobs but which would take the uk out of the political integration project of the eu. i hope that colleagues from across the house will recognise we will never get an outcome that makes everybody happy in this deeply polarised state that we find ourselves in. we need an outcome that the greatest number of people can live with, that is what compromise is about. british politics desperately needs to rediscover the lost art of compromise, and i hope that before the 5th of june compromise, and i hope that before the 5th ofjune we will have the opportunity to do that. it is not made any easier, of course by the complete meltdown going on inside the conservative party, but we can't allow conservative chaos to dictate the future of our country. we have to now actually step up and find a way of ensuring that we do not crash out of the european union without a deal. stephen kinnock, thank you very much indeed. i think that is what theresa may is hoping, that mps we re what theresa may is hoping, that mps were desperately keen to avoid that scenario, and viewing the prospect ofa scenario, and viewing the prospect of a brexiteer conservative mp taking over as prime minister, coupled with the european elections, labour and the conservatives perhaps getting a hard time, that might focus people's minds. british steel has gone into receivership, following the failure of rescue talks between the government and the company's owner, greybull. it means 5,000 jobs are at risk, including 3,000 at the company's plant in scu nthorpe. the move also endangers thousands more jobs in the wider supply chain. the uk's second—biggest steel maker has been seeking millions of pounds