Ian Gibson says MPs will expect more concessions over fees

"I'm not going to give up on it - and I've heard no-one against the bill saying it's over," said the Norwich MP.

Dr Gibson says many Labour MPs who backed the government in its narrow victory on Tuesday were opposed to much of the student fees package.

And he says that they will expect changes to the bill in its next stages.

Dr Gibson, described as the "shop steward" of Tuesday's rebellion, says fellow MPs have been so supportive of his campaign against variable tuition fees that the rebels were now "emboldened" to launch further challenges.

Dr Gibson tabled the motion against the fees policy which was originally signed by 185 MPs.

Switching sides

Rejecting suggestions that the fees rebellion will crumble, Dr Gibson insists there are more concessions and amendments to be won, with MPs remaining unconvinced of the plans to raise tuition fees to �3,000 per year.

He argues that while the tuition fees vote took on a much wider political significance, once MPs look again at the substance of the proposals, there will be pressure for changes.

Universities have lacked vision in this debate - they've allowed the government to set the agenda Dr Ian Gibson

"It's quite obvious that there are other ways of getting money into universities," he said.

Dr Gibson says opponents of the Higher Education Bill had tried to discover why some of the rebels had changed their minds to vote with the government.

But he declined to be drawn on how fellow prominent fees opponent, Nick Brown, had been persuaded to switch sides.

Dr Gibson said that he would prefer to be "magnanimous" in his interpretation of Mr Brown's decision - and he said that the former rebel was "too smart a politician to have been tricked".

'Lack of vision'

Dr Gibson said he would continue pressing for changes to the bill as it progresses through Parliament.

He said two key sticking points remained - the introduction of variable fees and the income level at which repayments begin.

And he says that universities themselves should play a more active role in suggesting alternatives to the plans for variable tuition fees.

"Universities have lacked vision in this debate - they've allowed the government to set the agenda. And it's not been particularly helpful for those who want to see their funding being improved," he added.