Tuition fees: government wins narrow victory
• Plans to raise cap on tuition carried by 323 votes to 302
• Protesters clash with police outside parliament
• Read how the day's student protests unfolded
• All the day's political developments as they happened
Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat business secretary, insisted tonight that his party remained united despite a 21-strong rebellion by backbench MPs in a crucial vote over plans to allow universities to raise the cap on tuition fees to £9,000.
The coalition plans faced bitter criticism not only from Labour MPs but from Lib Dem and Tory backbenchers too before the move was carried by 323 votes to 302 in what has proved to be the most testing