The prime minister has claimed he will win the Commons vote on his controversial university top-up fees plan.

Despite a looming Commons revolt, Tony Blair delivered an upbeat assessment of his prospects - insisting "the battle is still there to win".

"I think whatever the difficulties in the coming weeks, I believe that we will win this argument," he said. "But I believe that it is as each day passes [it is] more obvious how important it is that we do win this argument for the future of the country."

The Labour leader denied that ministers were making concessions to head-off a Commons defeat on the plans.

"Sometimes I read that we have made concessions to get this package through. We have made no concessions," said the prime minister.

"The package of student support is right in its own interest. It is not right simply because it helps get the package through."

Under repeated questioning from the media, Blair said the reforms he proposed were "bold and important".

"It is important for the future of this country because university education is of increasing importance," he said.

"It is important to the reform of public services because we are showing how public services can be reformed in a modern progressive way for today's world not 30 or 40 years ago.

"And it is important, because in the end, it allows us to put together the two essential concepts which is to meet future challenges in a way that is fair for all people, not simply a few."

Blair insisted he wanted a "fair future for higher education" and conceded that he would have to go on persuading his own supporters of the merits of his argument.

"It's a big reform and these reforms are always difficult. They always cause controversy because we are asking people to think anew," he said.

The prime minister went on to insist that the government's controversial proposals would be better for students, parents and universities.

He said 50 per cent of young people would be attending university by 2010 and insisted reform was essential to ensure adequate funding.

The prime minister said the government was committed to "a very significant package of student support" to ensure that no-one was put off going into higher education.

Talking journalists through a presentation accompanied by a series of slides, Blair said the top-up fees system was substantially fairer compared to the existing scheme.

And he added that the government's proposals were "far more generous" to graduates in the early years of their working lives.