Anger over Hyslop's student debt U-turn

Published on Saturday 1 March 2008 18:37

AN SNP minister was at the centre of a political storm last night after she claimed that her party "never said" it would write off student debt during last year's victorious election campaign.

In an interview with STV's Politics Now programme on Thursday night, Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "We never said we would write off student debt. We promised to service that debt."

Hyslop added that ministers would soon bring forward a consultation document revealing the plans.

But her words last week contradict several high-profile announcements made by the SNP in the run-up to the election last May.

A campaign paper stated: "With an SNP Government led by Alex Salmond we will write off the debt to the Student Loan Company for Scottish domiciled students."

In July 2006, unveiling the policy, deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon said the plans would "allow for the write-off of the existing graduate debt from student loans that holds so many young people back from taking entrepreneurial risks and getting on the housing ladder".

And in November 2006, Hyslop herself said: "An SNP Government will abolish the student loans system and replace it with a fairer system of student grants and will write off the outstanding student loans debt."

An SNP spokesman said Hyslop's comments were consistent with the pledges made by the party during the election campaign.

Under the SNP plans, the Government would spend 100m a year to take on the cost of student debts and to replace them with grants. It could take up to 40 years to pay off the accumulated sums under such a scheme.

"What we are saying is that we will stand in the shoes of students," the spokesman added.

Murdo Fraser, the deputy leader of the Scottish Tories, said: "This is a complete betrayal of Scottish students. The SNP campaigned for the student vote in the run-up to the election with the clear message that they would wipe out student debt.

"It is now clear that this was a dishonest promise that they had no intention of fulfilling.

"Fiona Hyslop should be ashamed of her comments."