Drawing a line under tuition fees?

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes has been appointed as a government advisor on access to higher education.

Mr Hughes will report to the prime minister and his deputy Nick Clegg in the new year with recommendations of how to sell the government's policy of trebling the cap on tuition fees to angry student groups.

The coalition will hope the appointment of Mr Hughes, who abstained in the crucial vote, will begin to draw a line under the tuition fees saga which has done such political damage to the Liberal Democrats.

But opponents of the policy suggest the appointment will have little practical impact on government's stance.