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Students march through Newcastle to campaign against a rise in tuition fees.

It's perhaps the biggest test so far for the Lib Dem commitment to coalition.

Which way will their MPs jump when they are forced into a vote on raising tuition fees this Thursday?

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While some of those in government look likely to support the changes, there are Lib Dems determined to honour their election pledge and vote against a rise in fees.

We have two such refuseniks in our patch.

Lib Dem Deputy Leader and Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron has made it quite clear he will be voting against.

saying: "I will not vote to leave 18 year olds going to university next year from the South Lakes incurring up to £30,000 of debt.

"I am Westmorland's man in Westminster, not the other way round, and to me our communities come first."

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He says he has discussed the proposals with the Business Secretary Vince Cable, and is happy that he's done much to make them fairer.

But he won't be supporting them.

He says: "This scheme is more progressive with 20% of students expected to be better off than they are now. However I can't support raising the fee cap up to £9,000 per year."

A banner at a protest in Newcastle makes clear what many students think about any Lib Dem support for a rise in tuition fees.

One of our MPs though says he has yet to make up his mind.

Berwick's Sir Alan Beith is still deliberating which way to turn.

But his website shows he had little doubt in October 2009.

, he condemns Conservative plans to raise the cap on tuition fees to £7,000.

He said: "Students now face the prospect of serious levels of debt when they graduate from university, which could be with them for life, and the Conservatives want to put them under even more pressure.

"Labour and now the Tories just want to get as much money as they can from students who are already having to work harder than ever to stay at university.

"The choice is clear: only the Liberal Democrats will end the unfair system of top up fees for university students and bring back free education."

Sir Alan also signed the now infamous pledge not to vote for a rise in tuition fees.

What a difference a year makes. Of course, he won't be the first or last politician to have a change of heart if he does decide to vote in favour.

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Lib Dem parliamentary candidates like Carol Woods (City of Durham) and Wendy Taylor (Newcastle East) recently signed a petition asking their MPs to reject the rise.

But one former colleague of Sir Alan Beith says he will be supporting the plans.

Phil Willis was the Lib Dem MP for Harrogate until May and was the party's education spokesman for many years.

Indeed, he was instrumental in including the pledge to scrap tuition fees in the party's 2001 and 2005 manifestos.

But now Lord Willis of Knaresborough, as he is now, has told me he will support the rise.

He says time has moved on, and that it's now unfair to expect hard-pressed taxpayers whose jobs may be at risk to pay more taxes to support students.

Instead, he wants to see the rise stimulate more debate about the quality of education on offer to undergraduates.

The former head teacher hopes the rise in fees will lead to more demanding a better education than they get now.

So one party, and seemingly several opinions.

It's extremely unlikely though that this disagreement will be fatal to the Coalition. Tim Farron has gone out of his way to say his decision does not undermine his support for the government in any way.

But its repercussions for his party may be felt for some time beyond Thursday.

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