The Scottish Conservatives have ceded the argument to the Nationalists when it comes to ‘free’ university tuition, funded through general taxation – including from those who did not go to university. As a result the policy being introduced by the SNP, the number of places at Scottish universities was capped and subsequently the opportunity gap has grown between the richest and the poorest. In England, where the ‘tuition fee’ model means nothing is paid up front, and repayments are only made above an earnings threshold, proportionally far more disadvantaged students have gone to university…

The Tories’ U-Turn was announced in a statement this afternoon, with new leader Douglas Ross conceding to socialist soundbites over fact:

“We cannot burden them any further. So now is the time for the Scottish Conservatives to re-think 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.”

Guido can only hope that they will minimise the socioeconomic damage of this pledge by supporting a graduate tax instead…

UPDATE: Scottish Tory sources point Guido to the fact their last Holyrood manifesto already had a divergent policy on tuition fees to Westminster, with a proposed cap of £6,000.

Guido also understands part of the justification for this policy is the party plans on charging EU students in Scottish universities – who currently receive free university tuition and of which there are currently 21,000 – the international students fee of up to £38,000. That won’t go down well with the lefties they’re now trying to appease…