Fees protest students lobby MPs

Students at Oxford University held an overnight sit-in protest before the vote

A group of Oxford University students who took part in an overnight sit-in protest against the government's tuition fees plan are travelling to London to lobby MPs.

The students hope to show support for rebel MPs opposing the introduction of variable tuition fees and urge others to join them, ahead of the crucial vote in the Commons on Tuesday.

The move comes after 100 students began occupying the university's Examinations Schools at 1600 GMT on Monday.

Rodrigo Davies, who is part of the delegation, said 100 more students are expected to join the silent sit-in, which is still going on.

'Catastrophic effect'

He told BBC News Online: "We are staging the protest in order to put pressure on the university to issue a statement against the Higher Education Bill.

"We have had at least 30 messages of support during the last five hours, including one from the Oxford Trade and Industry Council who held a meeting last night and passed a motion in support of us."

Veteran Labour activist, Tony Benn spoke to demonstrators at the Examinations Schools on Monday night.

He said: "This week, (Tony) Blair is asking the Labour Party to abandon the principle of free education."

Free to choose

The protesters believe variable fees will make it harder for poorer students to attend expensive institutions like Oxford, which would in turn become elitist for the rich.

Mr Davies added: "The bill will have a catastrophic effect on higher education.

"Students choices will become based on finance and they will not be free to choose the courses they would like to study."

The government's plans for the future of higher education in England involve, for full-time undergraduates, variable fees of up to £3,000 a year.