Lords back student tuition fee rise

Hopes that legislation increasing student tuition fees would be blocked in the House of Lords were dashed last night as peers voted in favour of the motion.

Last week, the vote to increase the fees limit to £9,000, passed in the Commons by a mere 21 votes, with 6 Tory MPs and 21 Liberal Democrats voting against the measures.

As the plans moved to the House of Lords for approval, some political analysts pointed out that the move could be blocked by non elected peers. Two amending motions were tabled by Labour peers. However such fears proved unfounded as no Conservative peer voted against the Government and only five LibDems voted against the plans.

The stark difference in voting has been attributed to the recent coverage of violence, including defacing of the Cenotaph, at student demonstrations.