Government headed for defeat, says Prescott
[looks like a close call... pb]
By James Blitz, Christopher Adams, Ben Hall and FT reporters
Published: January 26 2004 21:57 | Last Updated: January 27 2004 8:23
news.ft.com
John Prescott, the deputy prime minister, acknowledged on Tuesday morning that the government seemed to be heading for defeat in tonight's knife-edge Commons vote on university funding.
Mr Prescott told the BBC: "On the way the figures are at the moment...the government will get defeated unless some more people come over and commit themselves to supporting a Labour government."
Tony Blair's grip on power will face its sternest test in the vote on the proposals - central to his efforts to reform the public services.
On Monday, at the end of a day that saw the prime minister holding tense meetings with many key Labour rebels, Downing Street and government business managers feared Mr Blair could still lose the vote on introducing tuition fees for university students.
If Mr Blair is defeated it would be seen as the prime minister's biggest political setback since he came to power six years ago and would inflict serious damage on the Labour party. There were signs on Monday night that more Labour rebels were moving the government's way, improving Mr Blair's chance of securing a narrow victory when the Commons votes in the second reading of the higher education bill at 7pm on Tuesday.
Gordon Brown, the chancellor, was also stepping up his pressure on rebels to back Mr Blair in one-to-one meetings. An ally of the chancellor cautioned against being too pessimistic ahead of the vote, saying: "We are making it absolutely clear to the rebels that defeat would not be in the wider interest."
But Labour backbench critics of the legislation continued to insist that the rebellion remained firm and an air of uncertainty hung over government ministers. Adding to the tension on Tuesday, Mr Blair will get his first sight at noon of Lord Hutton's report into the death of weapons scientist David Kelly.
One Labour whip conceded on Monday night: "As things stand, we're going to lose." Government business managers hope that a sufficient number of rebels will abstain on Tuesday to ensure victory in the first big vote on legislation aimed at increasing investment in Britain's universities.
Some MPs argued that even if Mr Blair wins on Tuesday evening, his authority will have been damaged. Austin Mitchell, one of the undecided MPs, told the BBC: "To create a cliffhanger like this with a majority of 161 demands absolute incompetence."
The prime minister on Monday held a string of one-to-one meetings with around 30 rebel MPs at his office in the Commons.
The most dramatic moment came when the prime minister met George Mudie, the Labour MP widely acknowledged as the leader of the rebellion. Mr Blair was said to have looked Mr Mudie in the eye and said: "You will be loyal, you will vote for me." Mr Mudie replied that he would not.
Some MPs were swayed by last minute concessions made by Charles Clarke, the education secretary, and a fear of inflicting severe damage on the prime minister just one day before publication of the long-awaited Hutton report.
One vocal critic of the bill who has now decided to support the government said: "What people have got from their constituencies at the weekend is 'Do you want to boot the prime minister in the backside the day before Hutton?' "
The FT's latest analysis suggests 78 Labour MPs are planning to vote against the bill and six to abstain. Another 21 are undecided, while 41 have been won round. Assuming all those yet to decide do support the prime minister, and a handful of opposition party abstentions are taken into account, he would win by a mere 10 votes. |
