Tuition fees, Iraq and Kelly row could end it all for Blair

Tony Blair's fightback over university top-up fees ran into immediate trouble yesterday with one Labour MP urging him to resign if he could not change the "back me or sack me" approach he has adopted over recent days.

The Prime Minister was under fire on three fronts as Labour backbenchers also attacked his admission that weapons of mass destruction (WMD) may never be found in Iraq and the Tory leader Michael Howard accused him of having "something to hide" over Lord Hutton's report into the death of the government weapons expert David Kelly.

Eric Illsley, the normally loyal MP for Barnsley Central, accused the Prime Minister of talking "crap" when he said in a television interview on Sunday that MPs would betray the national interest if they rejected top-up fees to pay for the expansion in higher education.

Mr Illsley said: "If he is going to carry on like this, he ought to stand aside and let someone else have a go." He added: "Who the hell is he to tell me I am betraying the country? It's crap."

The MP said he was standing up for the people he represented and "my class" against an "elitist" policy proposed by Mr Blair.

There was dismay among Labour MPs at Mr Blair's weekend hints that WMD may never be found in Iraq. Some privately warned that his credibility and even his premiership could be called into question. Peter Kilfoyle, a former defence minister, said: "His credibility is already seriously damaged and the longer he goes on denying these things the more his credibility will be damaged."

Doug Henderson, a former armed forces minister, said: "Rather than lie, they have made a huge error of judgement based on evidence they had not thoroughly examined and now they are trying to shut the stable door. It's damaging, unless he sets the record straight, because people will not know what to believe." Tam Dalyell, the father of the House, added: "My view is that Parliament has been deceived."

Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat Leader, told The Independent: "It's dismaying that the Prime Minister appears to be confirming that the really crucial issues about the basis on which we went to war were made on a shaky premise. Weapons of mass destruction were absolutely fundamental to the government case. They have not been found and are most unlikely to be found now."

Mr Howard challenged Mr Blair to clarify whether he would open a Commons debate on the Hutton report, expected later this month, and whether there would be a vote on it. "The only conclusion that can be drawn from the Prime Minister's reticence is that he has something to hide," he said.

Mr Blair will make a speech in favour of top-up fees tomorrow but rebel backbenchers insisted they were unmoved by his weekend call for loyalty.

Ian Gibson, Labour MP for Norwich North, warned that more than 100 rebels were still solid in their opposition. He said: "He has played all his aces at one time. He is using the loyalty argument. We don't want to be in that game. We want to talk about the serious issues."

Graham Allen, the Labour MP for Nottingham North who backs the Government's proposals, warned that Mr Blair had to convince MPs that his style of leadership would change to win the debate over top-up fees, insisting the argument had now "gone from policy to politics".

The Tories will step up pressure on the Secretary of State for Defence, Geoff Hoon, today by renewing their call for him to resign in a debate on equipment failures during the Iraq war. They went on the attack after the National Audit Office revealed that British troops were left without vital protective body armour. Nicholas Soames, the Tory defence spokesman told Mr Hoon: "It is wholly unacceptable that [troops] were committed to action without the right equipment, a situation for which you must bear the ultimate responsibility."