Scottish Tories to back free university tuition at next election

Douglas Ross has revealed the Scottish Conservatives are dropping their opposition to free university tuition.

The party had called for a graduate contribution to fund higher education at the last two Scottish Parliament elections, but the party leader said this position should be reassessed.

He told a fringe event organised by the Young Conservatives at the virtual party conference that the Scottish Tories would support the policy in next year's poll.

Young people, the leader said, have faced significant pressure on their education during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Ross said: “This group of young people have had their education disrupted like no other.

“They're losing out on life-defining experiences and they're going to be entering the job market at the most difficult time.

“We cannot burden them any further. So now is the time for the Scottish Conservatives to rethink our policy on introducing tuition fees and a graduate contribution.

“Our manifesto will support free tuition for university students, while calling for college places to be viewed as equally valuable.”

The party supported the abolition of tuition fees in 1999 and 2003, before proposing a “root-and-branch review” of education funding in 2007 and backing the introduction of a means-tested graduate contribution in 2011 and 2016.

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