For immediate release;

MSP for Rutherglen Constituency, Clare Haughey has said that the UK Labour Government’s decision to hike tuition fees in England shows that only the SNP can be trusted to protect free tuition for students in Rutherglen and Cambuslang.

UK Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson recently announced that fees will increase to £9,535 per year in England – while tuition remains free in Scotland.

Student Loans Company data shows students in Scotland leave university with the lowest levels of debt in the UK, and an average of £31,790 less debt than students in England.  Figures released earlier this year show that a staggering 1.8 million people in England and Wales are in at least £50,000 of student debt.

Record numbers of students from our most deprived areas in Scotland are going to university due to the SNP’s continued support for free tuition.
           
Michael Marra, Scottish Labour’s finance spokesperson, hinted earlier in the year that the party would examine models to reintroduce some form of charges in Scotland, whilst new Tory leader Russell Findlay talked about ending free tuition in his first major speech as party leader.

Commenting, Clare Haughey said;

“Back in May, Labour MP Michael Shanks stated in the press that ‘Scottish Labour abolished tuition fees’, but that was a very selective retelling of history.

“A previous Labour Scottish Government did abolish fees – only to replace them with an ‘endowment’ which had to be paid back.  It took an SNP Government to introduce free university education, which it has been committed to ever since.

“Whether in Scotland, England or Wales, history has shown that under Labour governments, tuition fees go up – Labour simply cannot be trusted on this issue.  

“Under the SNP, we have record numbers of Scottish students securing places at our universities, and recent figures showed a rise in students from our most disadvantaged communities.

“This progress has only been made possible because the SNP abolished Labour’s tuition fees when we came to office – and we will never let them be reimposed.”

ENDS