Plans set out to charge Scottish students £6,000 for university degree

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson has spoken of plans to charge graduates after completing a four-year degree.

Speaking to an STV leaders’ debate, Davidson said she wants to reintroduce a charge of £1,500 per year, arguing that the costs of providing free tuition are hitting poor Scots.

She said the SNP had paid for free university tuition by slashing thousands of college places.

The University of Glasgow would be hit by charges

Davidson also highlighted that a high percentage of students from deprived backgrounds attend universities in England, even though there are tuition fees.

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The leader said her party’s aim is to stand up for Scotland’s workers and appealed for people to vote Conservative in the “national interest”.

Ruth Davidson at the debate

Nicola Sturgeon argued against Davidson’s points, saying that the Tory leader was trying to portray herself as on the workers’ side while wanting to charge for tuition that is currently provided for free.

Derek Mackay, the SNP’s business convener, said: “With [Ruth Davidson’s] plans to charge Scotland’s students £6,000 to go to university… it’s no wonder people in Scotland are continuing to comprehensively reject the Tories.”