Protests start as MPs debate tuition fee rises
Thousands of demonstrators are marching on Westminster as MPs debate plans to raise tuition fees in England to £9,000 a year.
Huge crowds are in Parliament Square and organisers say they will stay there - so MPs can hear their voices.
The Business Secretary Vince Cable told MPs the fee plans were fair and would maintain the quality of universities while tackling the financial deficit.
The coalition government is facing its first major backbench rebellion.
Police are out in force and barricades surround the Houses of Parliament.
There have been minor scuffles between police and protesters as officers tried to control the march and fireworks and flares have been set off.
The BBC's Heather Sharp is in Parliament Square. She said: "A smoke flare has just gone off. Organisers say there are tens of thousands of people here and that it is good-natured and going well".
But the BBC's Dominic Hurst reported a short time ago: "There is an an ugly mood as hardcore of hundreds of students run towards Parliament Square. Many armed with sticks; some scuffles with riot police".
Students from around the UK have gathered in London for a day of protests and a rally.
The police said they were expecting 20,000 demonstrators.
The Commons vote on Thursday afternoon is the culmination of weeks of political divisions and student protests.
MPs splitIt is expected that more than a dozen Liberal Democrat MPs will not support the government - including the party's deputy leader Simon Hughes.
The National Union of Students is expecting up to 10,000 for a rally - and 20,000 could take part in a separate protest march which will head towards Westminster.
Heather Sharp, BBC News, central London
Students are gathering to march through London
There is a forest of placards, and chants of "They say cut back, we say fight back." They have force of numbers with them and the sun is shining.
There is a mix of experienced protesters, some wearing masks and prepared with hard hats, union activitists, and others who seem fairly new to protesting.
The protesters seem organised. There are teams of marshals wearing orange jackets who are holding the crowds together at the start of the march.
The atmosphere is noisy, but so far good natured.
There are police lines at the front of the march. They are equipped with riot helmets, but most are not wearing them, and they seem relaxed, with some officers smiling and joking while listening to the speeches from the crowd.
Opening a noisy debate in the Commons, Mr Cable said: "The instrument that we're discussing here is a central part of a policy that is designed to maintain high quality universities in the long-term, tackle the fiscal deficit and provides a more progressive system of graduate contributions based on people's ability to pay".
Liberal Democrat MPs have been under intense pressure - after their election pledge to vote against any fee increase.
Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who has become a target for student anger, said that all Lib Dem ministers will vote in favour of the plan to raise fees.
"In the circumstances where the country as a whole, we don't have much money... it's not unreasonable to ask those graduates who've been lucky enough to go to university to make a contribution towards the costs," said Mr Clegg.
Meanwhile Mr Clegg's own party's youth wing is holding last-ditch talks to persuade Lib Dem MPs to vote against the fee rise.
In an attempt to bolster support, ministers announced further concessions on repayment thresholds which would make the fee package more generous to students.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes has said he will abstain or even rebel against the government.
DisincentiveMr Hughes said that the "level of fee increase... may have a significant disincentive effect on youngsters going to university".
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg: 'The new proposals are the best option available.'
Shadow business secretary John Denham said the fee increase was being driven by the government's decision to have deep cuts to university funding.
"Even if they had just cut universities the way they are cutting other public services, students would be facing fees of no more than £4,000," he told the BBC.
"This is a choice they have made and they don't have to make it."
Prime Minister David Cameron has accused the Labour party of "rank hypocrisy" for opposing the rise in fees - while Ed Miliband said the university plans were in "chaos".
The package of measures would see fees rising to an upper limit of £9,000 per year - with requirements for universities to protect access for poorer students if they charge more than £6,000 per year.
College occupationsThe proposals to raise fees have triggered a wave of student and school pupil protests, with a march last month leading to an attack on the Conservative headquarters in Millbank.
Dozens of universities have been occupied by students - with students in five more universities occupying buildings this week.
Aaron Porter, NUS president: "English universities [will] become the most expensive public universities in the world"
For the first time, there have also been occupations of schools by pupils.
Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students, urged MPs to "do the honourable thing and vote down these damaging proposals".
"Students are now descending on Westminster to ensure that promises to voters are kept and they are not sold down the river," said Mr Porter.
Students and NUS officials will hold a rally and lobby MPs at Westminster throughout the day. A march is also moving through central London towards Westminster.
OUTSIDE LONDON PROTESTS
- Swansea: Protest planned between 1200-1400 GMT at Castle Square
- Edinburgh: NUS Scotland organising a candlelight vigil outside Holyrood at 1630 GMT
- Kidderminster
- Possibly Brighton before students gather in London
There has been no consensus within the university sector about the fees deal.
The university lecturers' union has backed student protesters - while university vice chancellors have been split over whether to support or oppose the fees plan.
The proposals to raise fees would apply to students in England. Welsh students will not pay the higher rate of fees, even at universities in England.
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