AHEAD of Tony Blair is what is likely be the last full Parliamentary session before the General Election. It promises to be his toughest ever year.

No Prime Minister wants to go to the polls with a Commons defeat behind him. But that is the real prospect facing him after he refused in yesterday's Queen Speech to dilute plans to introduce university top-up plans.

Such is the opposition to the proposals among the public and his own MPs, that a 161-majority may not be enough of a cushion.

As if it was an act of defiance, Mr Blair contrived for the Higher Education Bill to be the first measure announced by the Queen.

Today, Labour MPs will put down a motion opposing their leader on this issue. A promise to establish an Office for Fair Access to help students from poorer backgrounds has not persuaded them to fall in line.

Mr Blair will need all his famed powers of persuasion, presentation and compromise to win the day.

Authors of their own demise

A FORMER chairman of Leeds United said he had lived the dream. The dream was to turn the club into the best in the Premiership, and one of the most successful in Europe.

Today, that dream is in tatters. Leeds are at the foot of the Premiership, with even the most ardent supporters doubting their chances of survival.

But without the riches the Premiership brings, there is little hope of the club making any inroads into its crippling £78m mountain of debts.

The plight of the once great club is a salutary lesson for the rest of football.

Football clubs are no different from any other business. They have to live within their means or they will ultimately face financial ruin.

Unless a knight in shining armour like Chelsea's Roman Abramovic comes to the rescue, Leeds could go out of business.

That would be a tragedy for football and the club's army of loyal and dedicated followers. But it will be a tragedy of the club's own making.