Wales@Westminster weblog

It's Wales@Westminster weblog, BBC Wales' Parliamentary correspondent David Cornock's diary on political life. It's a two-way process though, so add your comments too.

Wednesday 28 January

Saving Blair's bacon
posted by David | 1140 GMT |

Nine of the 34 Welsh Labour MPs voted against the Government over plans to allow English universities to charge higher tuition fees.

It could have been much worse for Tony Blair. Eight others who signed a Commons motion criticising the plans changed their minds and voted for the Higher Education Bill. Another - Alan Williams - abstained.

The turnaround came after something of a charm offensive mounted by Government whips and ministers.

There were rumours that the whips had sent potential rebels envelopes containing a picture of the Tory leader Michael Howard, just to scare them, but these were probably too good to be true.

Welsh Secretary Peter Hain cleared his diary to spend the day trying to persuade waverers.

Welsh whip Nick Ainger and Higher Education Minister Alan Johnson were seen sitting either side of Conwy MP Betty Williams over tea at Westminster.

I am not sure who paid for the pot but Mrs Williams, a would-be rebel whose constituency contains thousands of university students in Bangor, eventually voted to help save Tony Blair's bacon.