Blair avoids defeat on fees by a whisker

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair avoided a humiliating defeat in the House of Commons last night by a mere five votes.

A controversial government proposal on university tuition fees was passed by 316 votes to 311, the smallest majority of any whipped vote under Mr Blair.

Up to 71 Labour rebels are believed to have voted against the government, which at one stage looked set to be defeated on the issue.

However, intensive lobbying by Mr Blair, his deputy John Prescott, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown and a U-turn by leading opponent Nick Brown turned certain defeat into a narrow victory.

Despite the close result and the decimation of Labour's notional 161-strong majority Mr Blair will be relieved to see the Bill pass its first hurdle and move into committee.

It came after a day of high drama at Westminster and provided a brief respite for Mr Blair ahead of today's publication of Lord Hutton's report into events surrounding the death of weapons expert David Kelly. Mr Brown had said the government were prepared to make certain concessions on the measures and it is believed this convinced a number of his colleagues to change their minds and back Mr Blair.

This was the biggest backbench rebellion of the British Prime Minister's leadership but he has faced several challenges from his backbenchers and seen the resignation of two cabinet members and countrywide protests over the war against Iraq.

That issue still dogs Westminster, with weapons of mass destruction yet to be found in Iraq. It also propelled the government into the events which ultimately led to the tragic death of Dr Kelly, and the establishment of the Hutton Inquiry.

The avoidance last night of such a politically wounding rebuff for the 51-year-old, who has enjoyed large majorities since coming to power in 1997, comes ahead of today's crucial Hutton Report on the background leading to the death of Dr Kelly.

While it is anticipated that Mr Blair will escape direct criticism, members of his government and senior civil servants are expected to be castigated.

The Hutton Report was given to Mr Blair, members of his government, the Kelly family and BBC personnel yesterday and later to the Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders.

Lord Hutton will make his findings known in a live television at the High Court today and debates will follow in the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

Although Mr Blair and his cabinet colleagues will be greatly relieved by sidestepping defeat last night, the narrow victory is still being interpreted as a challenge to his leadership.

If Mr Blair comes out of the Hutton Report without criticism, he will at least be unlikely to sustain any further internal criticism of his general policies.