Lib Dem ministers back fees rise – Blancer.com Tutorials and projects

Nick Clegg is expected to support the government in Thursday’s Commons vote

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg will seek to prevent a large-scale tuition fees rebellion when he meets his MPs later.

There is still uncertainty over whether leading party figures will oppose the coalition’s plans to raise fees in England to as much as £9,000 a year.

Mr Clegg and Business Secretary Vince Cable have indicated they will support the policy, although it runs counter to a Lib Dem pre-election pledge.

All 57 were contacted on Monday to gauge how they planned to vote on Thursday, with 13 saying they would vote with Labour against the fees proposal.

Thirteen said they were undecided, while two said they would back the government. Sixteen refused to say how they would vote. One will not be voting as they are abroad, while 12 did not respond.

Mr Clegg, who is also deputy prime minister, will speak to the Lib Dems’ weekly parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday evening, where the topic of fees is expected to to dominate proceedings.

Before the election the party’s MPs signed a pledge promising to oppose any increase in university tuition fees from the current £3,290 during this parliament.

But the policy of the government – in which the Lib Dems are partners – is to support a rise.

Under the terms of the coalition agreement, Lib Dem MPs, including ministers, are allowed to abstain on the issue.

However, former party leaders Charles Kennedy and Sir Menzies Campbell have said they will vote with Labour against the increase and transport minister Norman Baker has hinted he might quit the government in order to join them.

Another former leader, Lord Ashdown, has predicted the Lib Dems will “hold together”, whatever the outcome.

David Davis has become the first prominent Conservative to say he will vote against the rises.

The former shadow home secretary confirmed he would not support the plans in an e-mail to the National Union of Students’ body at Hull University, seen by the BBC.

The National Union of Students is promising to campaign directly against Lib Dem MPs who back the fees increase, arguing that the change will deter people from poorer backgrounds from going to university.

Lib Dem backbencher Greg Mulholland is pushing for the vote to be called off, so that a full public consultation on the future of university funding in England can be carried out ahead of a government white paper in 2011.

On Monday evening, a sit-in protest by about 100 students took place at London’s Tate Britain ahead of the Turner prize announcement.