The government's hopes of averting defeat in next week's vote on top up fees look remote, according to today's papers.

The Cabinet was briefed yesterday that the backbench rebellion is refusing to buckle, despite intense whipping and a series of meetings with the prime minister.

Tony Blair's spokesman said that there was "not a flicker of complacency" in the weekly Cabinet meeting.

"Everybody recognises there is still a lot of dialogue, discussion and debate to be had between now and Tuesday with their parliamentary colleagues, and that is obviously what will happen," he said

A Downing Street source tells the FT that next week's vote will be close: "If we held the vote now, would we lose it? Yes. Could we lose it next week? Yes."

The prime minister told a Gateshead comprehensive school pupil that university fees offers the middle classes a good deal, arguing it was "not too much to ask" a graduate earning £18,000 a year to pay back £5 a week.

Writing in today's Mirror, Jack Cunningham, the former Cabinet "enforcer" hits out at rebel leaders such as former whips Nick Brown and George Mudie.

He says: "This is a rebellion led by the disappointed, not out of principle but out of pique."

Meanwhile, the Conservatives are confident they can come up with an alternative to top up fees.

Tim Yeo, the shadow education secretary, told the Telegraph: "Now that we have seen the government's figures in a bit more detail following the publication of the bill, I'm confident that an alternative policy which doesn't have to involve fees can be developed."