Member News
By Tony Grew - 7th December 2010
All 17 Lib Dem ministers will vote with the government on tuition fees, but several backbenchers plan to rebel including the party's president.
The policy faces a knife-edge vote on Thursday.
At a meeting of his party's MPs in the Commons last night Nick Clegg failed to secure a common position.
It was announced that PPSs will not have to vote with the policy but will be urged to do so.
At this stage it is unclear if Lib Dem MPs will be whipped for the tuition fees vote.
A spokeswoman for Nick Clegg said the meeting had been "powerful" and three backbenchers, Tom Brake, Don Foster and Gordon Birtwhistle, all indicated they will vote with the government.
She said it was "one of the most difficult" moments for the coalition government, as the Lib Dems show that they can take "tough but right decisions" even if those decisions are unpopular.
At the meeting Clegg urged all his MPs to back the rise in tuition fees, despite the fact all 57 Lib Dem MPs signed pledges during the election to abolish them.
In fact the government wants to treble fees while changing the rules around repayment to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Clegg has given a "strong steer" to the party and was "proud" all his ministers will be voting for the policy, according to the spokeswoman.
Several backbench MPs including party president Tim Farron and former leaders Charles Kennedy and Sir Menzies Campbell have said they intend to vote against the plan.
Campbell has said that his "credibility would be shot to pieces" if he did anything other than to stick to his pre-election promise to vote against any rise in tuition.
Lib Dem energy secretary Chris Huhne may be forced to return to London for the vote from the UN climate change summit in Cancun, Mexico.
Former Conservative shadow home secretary David Davis has also said he will rebel against the plans as has Tory backbencher Julian Lewis.
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