The government has squashed a backbench rebellion against plans to allow universities to charge variable fees in a vote at the House of Commons just a few moments ago. An amendment by Labour rebel Ian Gibson MP was defeated by 316 votes to 288.

The victory, while narrow, is by a considerably wider margin than at the Bill’s second reading where the proposals scraped through by just 5 votes. The vote came after a five hour debate with Education Secretary Charles Clarke threatening to withdraw the whole Bill if the rebel amendment succeeded. Mr Clarke claimed that the rebels did not understand the impact of their own amendment and that the effect of passing it would be to completely deregulate university fees, allowing universities to charge whatever they liked.

A Conservative amendment to the Bill was also defeated, by a larger margin of 378 votes to 227.