Vince Cable is odds-on to vote in favour of raising university tuition fees after an interview with the Richmond and Twickenham Times.

William Hill has slashed odds on the Business Secretary voting for the tuition fee rise to 2/5 after Dr Cable told the RTT: "Obviously I have a duty as a minister to vote for my own policy - and that is what will happen."

Bookies were today offering odds of 7/4 that the Twickenham MP will abstain and 16/1 that he will vote against.

Dr Cable, like all Liberal Democrat MPs, signed a pledge to resist any hike in tuition fees before the election but on Friday he confirmed he would be voting in favour of the plan in an exclusive interview with the RTT.

William Hill's Graham Sharpe said: "Mr Cable is clearly uncomfortable about the situation, but we believe he will opt to vote in favour of what is his own policy."

Mike Smithson, editor of the website politicalbetting.com, also expects Dr Cable to vote in favour.

He said: "I would say there is about a 70 per cent chance he will vote for. Today we have seen the call from Paddy Ashdown for a supporting vote and I would guess that his support will be influential."

Mr Smithson also reckoned the majority of the 57 Liberal Democrat MPs will vote for the fees rise and the bill will pass with a comfortable majority.

He added: "I think you will see almost all the Lib Dem ministers vote for it. I reckon about 40 will vote for, seven or eight will vote against and the rest will abstain.

"I suspect the bill will pass with a majority of about 20 to 30 and come the general election everybody will just wonder what all the fuss was about."