Prime Minister Tony Blair is facing a fight on two fronts as the Government prepares to force through plans to ban fox hunting and introduce university top-up fees.

The Government's legislative programme for the coming Parliament will be unveiled by the Queen as she performs the State Opening this morning.

It will include a new Government Bill to outlaw hunting with dogs which is certain to lead to a fresh confrontation between the Commons and the Lords.

But Mr Blair also faces opposition of a different kind - namely from his own MPs - over his plans to allow universities to charge top-up fees of £3,000 a year.

Today's Queen's Speech package will set the scene for what may well develop into Mr Blair's toughest year yet as Prime Minister.

With his authority already dented by rebellions over the war in Iraq and NHS reform, top-up fees are set to exacerbate the growing divisions in the Labour party.

Last week, 62 Labour backbenchers rebelled over the flagship Bill to establish foundation hospitals, reducing the Government's 161 majority to just 17.

However that figure is dwarfed by the 138 Labour MPs - including nine from the North-East _ who have so far put their names to a motion opposing top-up fees.

The nine potential North rebels are David Clelland, Jim Cousins, Bill Etherington, Doug Henderson, Kevan Jones, Ashok Kumar, Eric Martlew, Denis Murphy and Gerry Steinberg.

Newcastle Central MP Mr Cousins said yesterday that he hoped the Government would reconsider rather than subject the party to nine months of internal wrangling.

"Rather than have a long period of controversy over this proposal, it would be better to see from the outset if there isn't a better way of getting to the universities the additional resources they need," he said.

"The Government should reconsider this whole proposal before we set out on nine months of parliamentary controversy."

Other potentially divisive issues include a bill to give police sweeping new powers in the aftermath of a terrorist attack which will spark resistance from the left on civil liberties grounds.

And many MPs - notably Gateshead's Joyce Quin - are unhappy over plans to remove the remaining 92 hereditary peers without putting elected ones in their place.

Former minister Ms Quin said the issue would be "awkward" for the Government especially if it appeared to close its mind to a partially-elected Second Chamber in future.

"It is impossible to defend the hereditary principle but it would be sensible if the Bill kept the door open to further reform," she added.

Mr Blair will try to allay some criticism on the backbenches by offering a Government bill on hunting, a totemic issue for many Labour MPs.

Page 2: The Government's in-day