Labour backbenchers will condemn Britain's universities to "second class" status if they block the Government's plans to boost investment in higher education through top-up fees, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned.
Mr Blair urged MPs threatening to vote against the Government in Tuesday's crucial Commons vote to think again.
Mr Blair argued: "If we don't get the extra investment in, in the future we will have a second-class university system and at the moment universities are a great British asset.
"If we don't put in place a new system of university finance, fewer people will be able to go to university, and fewer people will have the quality education that they want."
Mr Blair acknowledged that he was unsure how the vote will go, but said he was determined to stick by his plans for reform.
He also questioned the motives of some of the potential backbench rebels.
There have been suggestions that some are more interested in undermining his leadership than in the issue itself.
Mr Blair said: "The odd thing I find is that there is no great heat in this argument, most people actually accept we are trying to do the right thing for the country. There may be other reasons for people voting."
The newspaper reported that in an final effort to placate the rebels, ministers will propose a review of the impact of the top-up fees policy, chaired by an independent expert, to begin in 2009 - three years after the fees are introduced.
Mr Blair's stance was receiving powerful backing from Chancellor Gordon Brown.
Mr Brown has been conspicuously quiet on the issue thus far, and there have been suggestions that some of the former ministers who have been most outspoken in condemning top-up fees have been motivated by a desire to see Mr Brown replace Mr Blair in No 10.