More evidence, if such is needed, that the government is in an immensely serious jam over tuition fees. The higher education minister Alan Johnson now says that further 'refinements' are possible on the package of benefits for poorer students. Yet when the bill was published last week, the government line was that the offer was final and unalterable and non-negotiable and that there would be absolutely no more goodies on offer so don't even bother raising it, comrades. But now they're talking of further sops -- er, refinements.

Clearly they have realised the gamble hasn't paid off. Education -- or to be more precise, the other kind of class war -- is Labour's real 'Clause Four', the shibboleth of shibboleths at the very core of Labour's belief system. Without that bedrock belief in penalising merit and levelling down -- sorry, 'social inclusion' -- Labour really does stand for nothing. So it's not surprising that the majority of the revolting Labour MPs aren't budging. Nor will they, unless the government gives way on the principle of variability, which ministers say is totally and utterly sacrosanct. So unless the backbenchers bottle out, Tony Blair is facing defeat on a flagship policy. If that happens, he will be a political dead man walking.

How long do you give him on variability?