BRITAIN: Mr Tony Blair met Labour rebels at Westminster last night in a frantic bid to avert a Commons defeat over university fees which would seriously damage his authority before tomorrow's publication of the Hutton Report.
The Prime Minister's charm offensive - described by one MP as "more a case of hand-shaking than arm-twisting - came after his official spokesman said the result of tonight's vote on the government's flagship Higher Education Bill was "too close to call."
Ministers and officials fear defeat tonight could combine with any serious criticism of the government by Lord Hutton over its treatment of the former government scientist Dr David Kelly to spark a political crisis.
Labour MP, Mr Austin Michell, said it demanded "incompetence" for a government "to create a cliff-hanger like this with a majority of 164."
And the Conservative leader, Mr Michael Howard, said it was "quite possible" Mr Blair could face a vote of confidence following the combination of tonight's vote on tuition fees and Lord Hutton's report.
As a survey for the Association of University Teachers showed seven out of 10 people opposed to "top-up" fees, Mr Howard claimed Mr Blair was losing public trust.
Mr Howard also insisted he had nothing to apologise to Mr Blair for in his repeated attacks over the so-called "naming strategy" by which Dr Kelly was identified as the source for the BBC's claims that Downing Street had "sexed-up" the government's Iraqi weapons dossier against the advice of the intelligence services.
Asked if he would be "going for the jugular" over the Hutton report, Mr Howard said as leader of the opposition it was his job "to hold the government to account."
The Prime Minister is due to receive his advance copy of the report shortly after noon today as his Education Secretary, Mr Charles Clarke, opens the debate on the government's controversial plan to allow universities to charge variable fees of up to £3,000 (€4,400), repayable by graduates over 25 years after they have earned £15,000 (€22,000) per year.
The Prime Minister's priority last night was to talk-down the threatened Labour rebellion below the magic figure of 81 which would spell a government defeat on the "in principle" Second Reading of a Bill for only the fourth time in 100 years.
Through the long hours after tonight's 7 p.m. showdown in the Commons, Mr Blair and his advisers will be locked in preparation for a second - with Mr Howard - at around 2 p.m. tomorrow , barely minutes after Lord Hutton concludes his live broadcast summation of his report from Court 76 at the Royal Courts of Justice.
A spokesman for the Hutton Inquiry said the former Law Lord would deliver his "substantial" summary after his Report had been laid before parliament, and that the timings had been arranged after discussions between Lord Hutton, the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the House of Commons authorities. Mr Blair's statement would normally come at 12.30 p.m., following Prime Minister's Questions, which is scheduled as normal for tomorrow .
However with Speaker Michael Martin interrupting normal business to allow a later statement, there is speculation that he might suspend the Commons sitting to allow all MPs to listen as Lord Hutton delivers his verdict on the events surrounding Dr Kelly's death.Mr Blair will lead for the government in next week's full Commons debate on the Hutton report. However he received notice yesterday that that will not be the end of the matter as the Public Administration Select Committee announced it will hold another inquiry into the Dr Kelly affair to examine the lessons for the Civil Service.