MSP RONA MACKAY: 'ONLY THE SNP CAN BE TRUSTED TO KEEP FREE TUITION IN SCOTLAND'
SNP MSP Rona Mackay has called out Labour’s “hypocrisy on stilts” and said that free tuition fees for students in East Dunbartonshire are only safe under the SNP.
Labour’s leader in Scotland, Anas Sarwar claimed this week that Labour would maintain the SNP’s policy of free tuition fees if it were elected at Holyrood.
The claim comes despite the fact that it was Sarwar’s Labour Party which first introduced fees back in 1998, imposed back-door fees in Scotland through the graduate endowment, and then subsequently voted against the abolition of the tax by the SNP in 2008.
Tuition fees in England have risen to £9,535 since Labour came to power last year whilst fees have also risen in Labour-run Wales.
Meanwhile Sarwar’s own finance spokesperson Michael Marra hinted last year that the party would examine models to reintroduce some form of charges in Scotland.
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.
Ms Mackay, SNP MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden said: “This is hypocrisy on stilts from Labour. History has shown that his Labour party cannot be trusted on tuition fees. Whether in Scotland, England or Wales - fees have gone up under Labour governments.
“It increasingly looks like Anas Sarwar will say anything - and adopt SNP policies - in his desperate attempt to get into power. But why should voters trust him on tuition fees after broken promises on winter fuel payments, compensation for WASPI women and the future of Grangemouth?“
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 and we will never let them be reimposed on students here in East Dunbartonshire."
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