we need to turn the page as quickly as possible. the time has come for a change of leader, we've only got a few months left until the deadline of slst october. this isn't personal, this is about the future of the country, it's about a deal we've rejected three times and would reject a fourth, and this can't go on, it's not in the national interest. no 10 says theresa may isn't budging. but in truth, she could be gone within days. and the may crisis deepens on the eve of the european elections, which take place across the uk tomorrow. also tonight, distressing details of abuse at a private mental health hospital in the north—east of england. an undercover investigation by bbc panorama finds vulnerable patients being mocked, taunted, and intimidated by staff. thousands ofjobs in danger as british steel collapses following a breakdown in rescue talks. and 19 years after he was jailed for murder, the road—rage killer kenneth noye is to be released. the parole board says he no longer poses a risk. and coming up on sportsday 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. the intense pressure on theresa may to step down has reached new levels after the resignation this evening of andrea leadsom, leader of the house of commons, who said she no longer believed the government's approach would deliver brexit. ms leadsom's decision is the latest reaction amid a conservative backlash against mrs may's brexit plan. several cabinet ministers have told the bbc that the prime minister can't stay in office. let's join our political editor, laura kuenssberg, for the latest. 24 2a hours ago, it felt like theresa may's publication of her new brexit plan had made things worse. and my goodness, it has made things worse, very much worse. with the resignation from government tonight of one of her crucial brexiteers, andrea leadsom, the leader of the house, who is due to put forward that new brexitland to mps tomorrow, but simply seems not to have been able to face it. making her own individual decision to quit tonight, bringing yet more instability to what's left of the government. notjust this morning but for many mornings, andrea leadsom's had doubts in her mind about the prime minister's version of brexit. well, i'm looking very carefully at the legislation today, as leader of the commons, that's myjob, and making sure that it delivers brexit. thanks very much. for this eurosceptic, a less cheery goodbye from government tonight. in her letter to no 10, ms leadsom wrote... and criticising colleagues who'd been on the other side of the debate, she said there had been a complete breakdown of collective responsibility. it was already a painful day for theresa may, speeding in the side of the commons. stop brexit! prime minister... eurosceptic ministers were absent from their normal places supporting her at prime minister's questions. then watch, that's andrea leadsom walking in more than half an hour late, having been with other brexiteers who have fears about theresa may's version of brexit. then at lunchtime, theresa may had to try, probably in vain, to explain her new brexit compromise that mps already tried to strangle. 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 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 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, 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 anymore. in proposing this folderol, is she going through the motions or does she really believe in it? this deal is dead, stop the charade, and let's get on with putting the decision back to the people once and for all. the country decided to leave — l-e-a-v-e - the eu. it's as simple as that. the british people voted to leave... i have been trying to leave the european union... i am looking forward to voting a fourth time to leave the european union in the withdrawal agreement bill. this backing probably in vain. the whole house needs to stop saying no to everything on the table just because it's not our favourite dish. with her plans shredded, theresa may's authority is sinking, too, if not sunk. the people that i spend my time with mainly other moderates with mainly are the moderates and the centre ground conservatives and the feeling is very much there that we've come to the end of the road with this prime minister. the time has come for a change of leader, we've only got a few months left until the deadline of 31st october and we need a new leader and a new team to be able to deliver that. things are changing fast for theresa may, and for the worse. in the last hour 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've been plotting to oust her for months are meeting again right now. huddled away after to—ing and fro—ing, they agreed with no 10 that the prime minister will meet the party top brass on friday morning. but even her most loyal defenders concede that could mean to say goodbye. i don't think the prime minister needs to be told anything. i think the prime minister is aware of the mood of the party. i don't think the prime minister needs to be told anything, i think she will probably be doing quite a lot of the talking during that meeting. a routine meeting at the palace for the prime minister tonight. very soon, she'll sweep through those gates for the last time and be gone for good. well, laura, on your last point, how long do you think can the prime minister hold on to office, given the fact that these calls for resignation are coming from every wing of the party? well, things are extremely shaky, no 10 is adamant that speeding up her departure would not change anything, that nothing is going to happen soon. but privately, i have to say that is absolutely not the mood of most people you talk to in the tory party today. there is furious and frantic calculations about whether she might even go on friday, or could she go in the aftermath of the european elections on monday? but whichever way this pans out, it is going to be soon. of course there are discussions about whether or not she could stay on as a caretaker prime minister during a leadership contest. but whichever way you look at it, it has been a definitive change in the mood around here, because for her to go have gone way beyond the usual suspects and it really does feel tonight that it isa and it really does feel tonight that it is a matter of days left for theresa may before she finally submits and offers her resignation. as you mentioned, this happening on the eve of the european elections, which take place tomorrow, the results not until sunday night, but the timing is incredible? it is absolutely astonishing. the tory party has been struggling with the issue of europe for many decades, this government has been riven with divisions and splits over brexit since the day it was formed. theresa may through all of that of course has an very, very hard to keep the party together. but the fact that we are seeing this complete, not implosion but explosion, on the eve of really important elections for every single political party in the country, in the aftermath of all of parliament's country, in the aftermath of all of pa rliament‘s troubles with country, in the aftermath of all of parliament's troubles with trying to deal with brexit, is something that you really could not make it up. laura,, thank you. forthe you really could not make it up. laura,, thank you. for the latest at westminster, laura kuenssberg. an undercover investigation by bbc panorama has found vulnerable patients being mocked, taunted, and intimidated by 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. tonight, the firm which runs it, called cygnet, said... patients had now been transferred to other units. this report by our social affairs correspondent alison holt contains some distressing detail. see that tiny car? guess whose car it is. me! alex is 20 years old and profoundly autistic. she spent ten months here at whorlton hall in county durham, a private hospital looking after about a dozen nhs funded patients with learning disabilities or autism. here, panorama's undercover reporter found a culture of bullying, intimidation and taunting. alex is scared of men and should only be looked after by women. screaming. but when she gets upset two male care staff soon arrive. if she carries on screening, what we do is me and matthew will sit here and you two can go. the female carers are told to go away for five minutes. screaming. alex's screams can still be heard as they reach the end of the corridor. alex's parents tony and sarah have agreed that her face can be shown. we're so upset that alex has had to put up with that... we don't know anything about any of this... ..because she wouldn't tell us. they're meant to be working to get alex better to move out of that environment, and they're making it worse. and alex is a regular target. the staff joke they're pushing "the man button". professors glynis murphy and andrew mcdonnell are leading experts on learning disabilities, autism and challenging behaviour. it's like torture. i think it is like psychological torture, because she's stuck there. she can't actually get away — it's a secure unit — and they are deliberately taunting her and deliberately upsetting her. i'd agree with professor murphy. that's torture. that's 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 learning difficulties is pinned down for nearly ten minutes. his distress is largely ignored. staff also go to remove his personal possessions from his room. oh, come on. that's just so cruel. because it's clearly being used as a punishment. cygnet, the firm which took over the hospital, says the safety and care of patients is of paramount importance, that they are cooperating with the police and all patients have now been moved elsewhere. the care regulator, which had rated the hospital as good, has apologised to patients and families. it says a review it 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's working to ensure more people return home after treatment and investing in more community support. alisonjoins me now. given the appalling things we saw there, alison, and similar reports in other places in the past, how can people have any faith in the system? i think that's probably the question many families are asking this evening after what is a very distressing, shocking investigation. we should remember, it comes eight yea rs we should remember, it comes eight years after panorama exposed abuse at another, similar hospital, winterbourne view, near bristol. that led to promises that change would happen, the institutions would be closed, people would be moved to homes within the community. some people have been moved. but there are still about 2300 people living in this sort of hospital. so, things aren't happening at the speed that people want. and in the last couple of days we've had two highly critical reports talking about patients being in these hospitals for yea rs patients being in these hospitals for years and about some people being in segregation for long periods of time. we've had this panorama as well. the government says it is going to review the care of individual patients and also an expert panel will look at coming up with a new model of care, a new way of going forward in the future for these patients. but forfamilies of going forward in the future for these patients. but for families who have seen this programme tonight, for experts, there is that deep frustration, they've been here before. they say, we have had reviews aplenty in the past. what they need is real change, and they need it now. alison holt, thank you very much. british steel has been placed in compulsory liquidation, putting at least 5,000 jobs at risk. it follows a breakdown in rescue talks between the government and the company's owner, greybull. greybull capital bought the company for £1 in 2016, rebranding it as british steel. around 5,000 people work directly for the company, while another 20,000 are employed in the supply chain. 0ur correspondent colletta smith reports from scunthorpe, where british steel has its main plant. this steelworks has shaped the landscapes and lives here for generations, but that might be about to change. we've been told 110 different things, so we don't know where we are or what's going on. i mean, i want to stay in myjob, but what'll be will be. can't do anything. it's above our pay grade. apparently we're getting special managers to ring us and let us know what's happening, but still left in limbo, don't know what's happening. the government said putting more money into the company wasn't an option. the government was willing to consider making a cash loan to the company, and worked hard to investigate exhaustively the possibilities of this. however, the absence of adequate security, no reasonable prospect that any loan would have been repaid, and the shareholder being unwilling to provide a sufficient cash injection itself, meant that this did not meet the required legal tests. the labour party and unions have called on the government to nationalise the company or bail them out. it's imperative, therefore, given that 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. those living in the shadow of the steelworks want to know why a company that made a profit last year has been taken over by the liquidator today. greybull capital bought the business three years ago forjust £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've been talking to want to know why that money wasn't spent here. some of my friends' parents work there, so it'll be hard for them. scunthorpe boxing club is a stone's throw from the main factory gates. over the years the steelworks have donated plenty of money, and classes would be dearer — they're only £2 for kids. two weeks ago henry had a visitor in his school's career sessions. we have a lot of students that want to work in british steel. it's a big company. we had someone from british steel who came in and told us about where it could lead you on what college courses to do... today's news is a double blow for taxpayers. a few years ago the government loaned greybull capital £100 million, and from next week they'll also have to pick up the company's wage bill. that's because greybull and its shareholders were unable, or unwilling, to support the business. last—ditch efforts are now being made to find a buyer, but hopes are evaporating. colletta smith, bbc news, in scu nthorpe. let's speak to our economics correspondent dharshini david, who's in scu nthorpe. in your view, was this news inevitable today? for all their history these imposing structures provide little defence against the downside of globalisation. most of oui’ downside of globalisation. most of our steel is actually sourced in europe but demand has soared and as has production which pushed down prices, meant more choice, which means more competition. so the birthplace of modern now ranks 22nd in the world. for every time we have produced china produces more than 100, and that is before brexit uncertainties, all those worries about tariffs in the event of an ordeal pushing down orders, and adding to that the chequered history of greybull when it comes to rescuing companies and sadly that brings us to where we are today. what can we say about the future of steel—making in the uk? what can we say about the future of steel-making in the uk? there are three reasons why this industry is so three reasons why this industry is so crucial, firstly because these jobs provide lifeblood for communities like this in scunthorpe, and secondly it is actually one of out and secondly it is actually one of our most efficient industries, one of our most competitive, in some ways, and thirdly it provides material for vital industries from transport to defence to oil and gas, so transport to defence to oil and gas, so it is what some call a strategic industry, meaning you don't want to have to source those components from your rivals because it might be too dangerous. the emphasis is now on finding the right kind of buyer. senior government sources are telling us it has not proved easy just as yet but they'd say they do not want to see the future of this industry go up in smoke. dharshini david, a correspondent in scunthorpe, david, a correspondent in scu nthorpe, many thanks. david, a correspondent in scunthorpe, many thanks. —— other correspondent. —— our correspondent. let's take a look at some of today's other news. the rate of inflation has reached its highest level this year, as energy bills and holiday flights pushed up prices. the office for national statistics said the consumer price index was 2.1% in april, up from 1.9% the month before. and inquest has heard that a guest on thejeremy kyle show was found dead after "growing concerns about the repercussions of the show". steven dymond was discovered at his home in portsmouth about a week after taking a lie—detector test on the itv daytime programme. the hearing was told empty morphine packets were found next to his body. huawei smartphones will not be able to access the uk's first 5g network, run by operator ee, which will go live at the end of the month. the company has paused the sale of huawei 5g—enabled handsets amid security concerns over the compa ny‘s links with the chinese government. it comes as google announced it would block access to some of its apps on huawei mobiles. sir philip green's retail empire which owns topshop, miss selfridge and dorothy perkins says it wants to close 23 shops and persuade nearly 200 landlords to accept lower rents. arcadia has 566 stores in the uk and ireland and employs around 18,000 people. our business correspondent emma simpson is with me. emma is with me now. more bad news for this? you might guess, so more bad news for this? you might guess, so philip can use to be the king of the high street but his once powerful empire is now in serious trouble. sales are falling and like a lot of retailers arcadia is up against rising costs and our changing shopping habits. so it wa nts to changing shopping habits. so it wants to do a deal with landlords to close 23 stores in the uk and ireland and close all its stores in america, tough but necessary, it says. but if he doesn't get this rescue plan approved administration isa rescue plan approved administration is a real possibility so this is a real pivotal moment for sir philip green. he has barely been out of the headlines these last few years and there is a big pension element to there is a big pension element to the story. he, orshould i there is a big pension element to the story. he, or should i say his wife tina, the ultimate owner of arcadia, they are offering to bring £100 million to make up for the planned drop in pension contributions. the question is will this be enough to convince the pension protection fund, a major creditor, to have their say in this vote ? creditor, to have their say in this vote? it will be an important vote, at the ppf. will they approve it? at the moment tonight the pension regulator says they don't think this is efficient —— sufficient. regulator says they don't think this is efficient -- sufficient. thank you. 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. the parole board says he no longer poses a risk to the public, as our home affairs correspondent tom symonds reports. 1998. kenneth noye, smiling, but his time on the run in spain had come to an end. two years earlier, 21—year—old stephen cameron got into a road rage argument with noye, 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'd demonstrated maturity about his situation, as well as greater insight into his past behaviour. stephen cameron's mother died three years ago. his father ken later wrote to the government demanding noye not be released. today he told us he was "gutted". 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 symonds, bbc news. this wild day in washington began with a meeting of democrats —— in the united states, president trump has walked out of a meeting with democratic leaders, announcing that he's unwilling work with them unless they stop investigating him and lift the threat of impeachment. the speaker of the house, nancy pelosi, had accused him of a cover—up in relation to the investigation into russian interference in his election campiagn. 0ur correspondent nick bryant reports from washington. this wild day in washington began with a meeting of democrats on capitol hill amidst increasing calls for an impeachment inquiry into donald trump. the democratic house speaker nancy pelosi opposes that, thinking it would backfire politically, but she did level this explosive charge against the president. no—one is above the law, including the president of the united states. and we believe that the president of the united states is engaged in a cover—up. in a cover—up. the next scene was played out at the white house, where a planned meeting about infrastructure projects between nancy pelosi and the president lasted less than five minutes. donald trump was apparently seething, and soon after into the rose garden — not to amend fences but to mount a barbed attack. things are going well, and i said, "let's have the meeting on infrastructure, we'll get that done easily, that's one of the easy ones." and instead of walking in happily into a meeting, i walk in to look at people that had just said that i was doing a cover—up. i don't do cover—ups. you people know that probably better than anybody. in this "he said, she said", the action switched back to capitol hill. nancy pelosi tried to be the grown up in the room, in appealing to a power even higher than the president. i pray for the president of the united states and i pray for the united states of america. the mueller report didn't establish any conspiracy between the trump campaign and the kremlin. but nor did it exonerate the president on the question of obstruction of justice. so this bitter row goes on, and it will do all the way to next year's presidential election. one thing there is broad agreement on is the urgent need to repair america's decrepit infrastructure. but in the nation's capital, the ongoing fallout from the mueller investigation is causing governmental paralysis. nick bryant, bbc news, washington. tomorrow millions of voters across the uk will go to the polls in the european elections —— in the european elections — a contest that was never meant to take place because of brexit, and its expected both the conservatives and labour could lose votes to smaller parties. 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. the country's 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 till sunday, and we won't get the results till then. and the parties? ukip won 2a 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 are openly fearful of the same threat. labour took 20 seats last time, and 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 worried about climate change? the liberal democrats are hoping to gain ground with the support of pro—european voters, and so are the new change uk party — and all of 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 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. john pienaar on tomorrow's elections to the european parliament. the polls open at seveno'clock in the morning, and the votes will be counted on sunday. hello and welcome to sportsday. it's notjust about money, why the newly crowned bbc women's footballer of the year wont be playing at the world cup missing out on the europa league final — arsenal label the mickhitarayan situation unacceptable. and the best chance for england to win a world cup according to andrew strauss. also coming — we here from robin van persie. and why he's backing 0gs to get it right at united. i think it is a perfect match up.

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