Blair confident of survival

Tuesday, 20 January 2004 12:00 AM

The Prime Minister says he will survive the "toughest" week of his premiership.

A week on Wednesday, Tony Blair will test the loyalty of backbench Labour MPs, who have threatened to vote against the government in a Commons vote on the controversial policy of university tuition fees.

More than 100 MPs have pledged to vote against the Government's flagship Higher Education Bill, although there are signs that some are wavering after a series of concessions were proffered by Charles Clarke to give poorer students grants of up to £3,000 a year.

The next day, Lord Hutton will unleash his report on the apparent suicide of Iraqi weapons expert David Kelly.

Dr Kelly apparently committed suicide last July after being exposed as the "mole" in a report by BBC correspondent Andrew Gilligan that suggested Downing Street "sexed up" an influential intelligence report to make a better case for war against Iraq.

Mr Blair told BBC's Newsnight last night, with both in mind: "I believe I will survive it, yes.

He told interviewer Jeremy Paxman: "You have got to do what you think is right."

Mr Blair appeared before students, parents, teachers and children to argue his corner over the defining policy of his second term of office.

Ahead of the Commons vote on January 27, he said: "It's going to be difficult. I can't remember the last week that was the most difficult week. I think it was the week before last, they come around pretty regularly, as you know.

"I know a lot of people disagree with me on this."

"I'm going to do my best, aren't I to win the vote and I can't tell you what the Hutton Report is going to say, there's no point speculating about it."

Meanwhile, Diana Organ, Labour MP for the Forest of Dean, said she had done a "complete U-turn" over top up fees.

"I started off implacably opposed to this and now I am almost evangelical in my support."

She has been joined by former culture secretary Chris Smith, Peter Bradley, Labour MP for The Wrekin, and Alan Whitehead, MP for Southampton Test, who have all said they would support the Bill when it comes before Parliament.

Separately, Labour's policy on variable university top-up fees will be affirmed as "commendable" and "essential" today by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

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