THE Government can take no comfort from last night's vote by MPs on the Higher Education Bill.

It has achieved the support of the House of Commons not by the weight of its argument, but by the sheer size of its parliamentary majority.

Some of the reforms have merit. The abolition of up-front fees and the re-introduction of grants are welcome.

But the Bill as a whole does not tally with the avowed aim of this Labour Government to create equal opportunity for all, regardless of wealth and background.

Rather like the National Health Service, higher education should be free at the point of delivery.

By reinforcing the notion of payment, the Government stands accused of turning education into a privilege, rather than the absolute right it should be.

Despite widespread opposition, much of it from within its own ranks, the Government has refused to look at alternative methods of funding our universities.

We should be celebrating, not bemoaning, the fact that more and more of our children want and are able to go to university. And as the world's fourth largest economy, we should be willing to pay the price of progress.

The option of meeting the extra costs from the taxation system should have been given closer scrutiny. Perhaps it has more popular support than the Government thinks.

Placing the onus on students and their families to foot the bill will undoubtedly deter many youngsters from less affluent backgrounds from going to university.

The introduction of variable tuition fees will limit the choices and opportunities of many more youngsters.

It is difficult to justify a reform which may force students to choose courses according to price rather than suitability.