Tony Blair on tuition fees

Blair: Is it fair to burden the taxpayer?

Tony Blair says he believes he will win a crucial vote on plans for student top-up fees, arguing that he is only "trying to do the right thing".

In an appearance on Newsnight, the prime minister argued it was only fair that graduates, and not taxpayers, plugged the gap in university finances.

"In the end there is a choice and I have tried to balance the interests of the general taxpayer with the interests of the student," he said.

Click here to watch the interview in full, point by point.

Click here to read a transcript of the interview.

Meanwhile, at a meeting of Labour MPs, Mr Blair also tried to persuade potential rebels that tuition fees were about fairness.

During Newsnight, the prime minister faced a grilling from parents, students and educational professionals over his plans for reforming higher education funding.

Under the scheme, universities in England could charge up to £3,000 a year, payable once graduates earn £15,000 or more.

I have tried to balance the interests of the general taxpayer with the interests of the student Tony Blair

More than 150 Labour MPs have backed a House of Commons motion critical of the plans - although a few have since withdrawn names.

Mr Blair told the show he doubted the fees would deter applications from poorer backgrounds.

But he conceded many people disagreed with him on the issue.

Tough choice

Next week is seen as potentially one of the toughest of Mr Blair's premiership.

Just a day after what could be a knife-edge vote on top-up fees, the Hutton report into the circumstances of the death of weapons expert Dr David Kelly will be published.

It really infuriates me that you say: 'Why should the dustman fund the doctor?' Julia Prague Medical student to Mr Blair

Mr Blair said his tuition fee plans were the fairest way forward.

"I am saying that already the general taxpayer funds the vast bulk of the money that goes into universities, but it is not unfair to make a student pay when they graduate, according to a fair graduation repayment system."

Survival instinct

Mr Blair said he knew it would be "difficult" to win over doubters, "but that's part of the job and you have got to do what you think is right".

Asked if he would win the 27 January vote on the Higher Education Bill, Mr Blair replied: "I believe I will survive it, yes."

During the Newsnight programme, one of his most vociferous critics was Julia Prague, a 19-year-old medical student from London, who said she was already more than £10,000 in debt, but only one third of the way through her course.

She told the PM: "It really infuriates me that you say: 'Why should the dustman fund the doctor?'

"When he has a heart attack, he'll be pleased that I went to university and graduated as a doctor and therefore he should contribute towards the cost of my degree."

Concession

Mr Blair replied that five sixths of any degree was funded by the general taxpayer.

But Ms Prague insisted: "I'm doing a social degree that will help society. You can't not have doctors."

Mr Blair retorted that other NHS workers were also doing social jobs, prompting the student to add: "They don't incur £18,000 of debt in order to be a porter."

In a last minute move to sway rebels, Education Secretary Charles Clarke offered his final concession to give poorer students an extra £1,200 to spend on maintenance or pay off fees at the end of their course.

After addressing Newsnight, Mr Blair tried to win over critics at a packed meeting of the parliamentary Labour party.

Moving rebellion?

He urged them to back top-up fees, saying they must have the courage to do "difficult things".

Backbencher Diana Organ said she had done a "complete U-turn" over the measure. "I started off implacably opposed to this and now I am almost evangelical in my support," she said.

One rebel leader Peter Bradley said he would now be supporting the government and another, Martin Salter, said he was moving away from the rebellion.

But a spokesman for the prime minister said they were not counting their chickens yet.