PRIME MINISTER Tony Blair has sent a personal thank-you to East Lancashire MP Janet Anderson for defending his plan for university top-up fees.

The Rossendale and Darwen backbencher spoke at a crunch meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party when Education Secretary Charles Clarke attempted to persuade rebels that the proposal was the best way to fund a fair university system.

Afterwards Mr Blair wrote in a note: "I gather you were wonderful today at the PLP. You have conducted yourself with extraordinary integrity these past few years and it says a great deal about you."

Foreign Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw wrote to her and said it was one of the very best speeches to the PLP he had ever heard in his 25 years in Parliament.

Former Labour Chief Whip Nick Brown and his ex-deputy George Mudie -- both now dropped from the front bench team -- are leading the revolt against the plan to allow universities to charge up to £3,000 a year for some courses, with the money to be paid back from earnings above £15,000.

But Mr Clarke has dropped general up-front fees to help poor families to put their children into higher education.

But more than 100 Labour MPs are threatening to rebel and inflict a defeat on Mr Blair and the government at the Second Reading of the Higher Education Bill on January 27.

Mrs Anderson said: "I am astonished at the behaviour of some former ministers who seemingly rediscover their so called socialist principles at precisely the same time as the Prime Minister decides to dispense with their services.

"We now apparently have the spectacle of former senior government whips - I was a senior government whip and I worked with these people - who are running around doing deals with the Tories, the Lib Dems and anyone who will have them - to defeat our Labour government.

"Let's get behind this Labour government which we all fought for 18 years to get elected."

At education questions, Burnley MP Peter Pike asked Mr Clarke: "You will recognise that... Burnley has a low take-up of people going on to higher education.

"We need to encourage our schools to encourage their students to want to go on to higher education.

"Do you believe as I do that the move to abolish up-front fees and provide grants and other assistance is likely to remove the barriers that exist for lower income families in areas such as Burnley?''

Mr Clarke, who this week officially opens Mount Carmel Specialist Science College, Accrington, replied: "I know you share my view and that of the government that improving the schools and basic education in Burnley is an important element in being able to achieve what we all want.''