Lib Dems 'planned to abandon fees pledge'

Nick Clegg faces fresh pressure over university tuition fees after it emerged the Liberal Democrats drew up plans two months before the general election to abandon a pledge to scrap them as part of any coalition deal.

A confidential document drawn up in March by a senior team planning for possible negotiations concluded that insisting on the move - which was opposed by the Tories and Labour - would be a "headache".

It is detailed in a new book about the formation of the Tory-Lib Dem administration by Conservative MP Rob Wilson, extracts of which have now been published.

Mr Clegg, now Deputy Prime Minister, admitted this week that he "should have been more careful" when he signed a pre-election pledge to oppose a rise in tuition fees.

He made a similar promise in a video message in April to the National Union of Students conference but the Government is now allowing fees to rise to up to £9,000 a year to compensate for spending cuts.