LABOUR peers last night sought to throw out the Government’s plan to raise the tuition fees cap to £9,000.
Amendments to the proposal in the Lords would overturn last week’s vote by MPs, forcing the Government to reintroduce the measure in the Commons if it decided to go ahead with the policy.
Opening the Lords debate in a packed chamber, Government spokesman Lord Henley said Labour’s two amendments would be “fatal”.
He told peers: “There is absolutely no mechanism for the Commons to address or put right a defeat in these circumstances and accepting one or both of the noble Lord’s amendments would therefore be, in practice, a veto.
“There is no ping-pong in this case.”
Labour spokesman Lord Triesman accused the Government of attempting to drive through the “privatisation” of universities.”
