NEARLY 60 Labour MPs pledged yesterday to fight Tony Blair's controversial plans for "independent" state schools, warning that poorer pupils would be left behind.

The rebels - including four North-East backbenchers and ten former ministers - are demanding sweeping changes to the flagship Education Bill.

The scale of the revolt in his own ranks raises the prospect of the Prime Minister getting the Bill through only with the support of new Conservative leader David Cameron.

Many MPs believe Mr Blair could not survive if he is dependent on Tory votes - and would then be forced out of office as early as next year.

Last night, one of the ex-ministers said such a situation would be "extremely serious", adding: "I do not really want to contemplate it."

Kevan Jones (Durham North), Chris Mullin (Sunderland South), Dave Anderson (Blaydon) and David Clelland (Tyne Bridge) are among the 58 Labour MPs backing the alternative proposals.

But, even before the rebel prospectus was published, Mr Blair insisted he would stick to his plans - putting the two sides on a New Year collision course.

The backbenchers want to block the creation of "trust" schools, free from local authority control, until there is evidence they would not undermine standards in other schools.

In particular, a "market-driven system", giving popular schools the freedom to expand, would strip pupils - and money - from other schools educating the less able, they warned.

Even worse, the best schools would be given greater freedom to select their pupils on the basis of ability, widening the divide between good and bad schools.

Mr Jones said: "My biggest fear is that we will see schools competing against each other, particularly in areas such as County Durham where school rolls are declining.

"There should be co-operation, not competition, between schools in raising standards, which needs a strategic overview from the local authority."

The document, entitled Shaping the Education Bill - Reaching for Consensus, calls for local authorities to have the power to reject the expansion of schools in the wider interest of their area.

Crucially, the MPs are determined to avoid a "free-for-all" in admissions, which would be co-ordinated by local councils, and they reject a proposed ban on new local authority schools.

But, speaking in the Commons earlier, Mr Blair insisted: "We will stick with the changes in the White Paper because they are the right changes to make."