Scores of Labour MPs are prepared to bring down British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair over his government's controversial higher education bill, according to a survey in today's Financial Times.
Today's FT polled 100 out of the 157 rebels, who have signed a motion opposing the bill, asking the question: "Would you change your position if the rebellion over university top-up fees was likely to bring down Mr Blair?"
Forty-nine MPs said they would not support the reform even if their actions forced the Prime Minister, who has acknowledged that his authority would be "on the line" if he was defeated on the issue, to step down.
Earlier this week Mr Blair said the second reading of the bill, which would introduce "top-up fees" of thousands of pounds for university students, would be held by the end of January and indicated the vote could come right at the end of month.
The FT's survey, carried out by four of the newspaper's journalists, also said 72 MPs of those polled would oppose the bill, unhappy that the measure would introduce a two-tier education system.
The size of the revolt means Mr Blair risks losing the vote, an embarrassment given his party's huge majority of more than 160 in the House of Commons.
Despite the simmering discontent within the Labour Party, Chancellor Mr Gordon Brown backed Mr Blair over the flagship bill. "Tony is right to make this one of the great reform issues of this Government," Brown told the Sunnewspaper today.
"It is right to move forward with a variable fee option. And it is right that we should have a fairer system of repayment. So the policy is the right policy for the future of Britain."
Opponents of the university funding bill argue the fees would deter poorer students and that allowing universities to charge variable fees would put the best institutions out of reach of poorer students.
Higher education minister Mr Alan Johnson appealed to the rebels to think again, arguing the bill would increase access to top universities for poorer students.
"We really have the best opportunity we've ever had to close the obscene social class gap that's dogged our higher education system for 50 years," Mr Johnson told today's Daily Telegraphnewspaper.
"I really think our policy is going to open the universities up. In the past some people did scramble up that rope ladder that picked up the odd working class 'first of a generation' but the social class gap has widened.
"We need to get rid of the rope ladder and build a substantial staircase."