Former ministers are organising their own whipping operation in order to defeat Tony Blair in his Commons vote on top-up university tuition fees.

A leaked memo shows how George Mudie and Barbara Roche, both former whips and close allies of Gordon Brown, are campaigning against the Higher Education Bill.

A third former whip, Eric Illsley, accused Tony Blair of talking "crap" when he said that defeat of the bill would be a "complete betrayal of the proper interests of the country".

"I don't see how [Mr Blair's] leadership can continue if, at every opportunity, he tells backbenchers 'back me or sack me'," he told Channel 4 News.

The prime minister will try to win over the rebels with a speech on university funding reform tomorrow, while education secretary Charles Clarke will address the weekly meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Meanwhile, Michael Howard is coming under pressure from his own backbenchers over his opposition to the government's plans.

Many are reported to be unhappy with his stance opposing variable tuition fees but not addressing the issue of long-term funding.

Former science minister Ian Taylor said the policy contradicts Howard's "I believe" principles published recently.

"Universities are seriously under funded and the burden of such funding should not fall on general taxation," he said.

"It has to be based on the principle that there should be no up-front costs. People from poorer backgrounds may become high-flyers quite quickly and be in a position to pay off their fees."

A survey in the Guardian finds that universities are planning to charge £3,000 top-up fees for all or most courses.

Three-quarters of the universities that have already decided their fees policy plan to levy the maximum amount permitted.