SNP minister Mike Russell rejected benefits for all in his own book, claims Johann Lamont

Labour leader Johann Lamont used her speech at the party’s conference in Manchester to announce a review of taxpayer funded “freebies” and to attack Mr Russell over comments he made in his book, Grasping The Thistle, published in 2006.

She highlighted passages in which the opposition minister had cast doubt on his support for free prescription charges, personal care for the elderly and university tuition fees.

In his book, Mr Russell said: “Put bluntly, universality now drags down both the quality of service to those most in need and the ability of government to provide such services. However, our political parties do not have the courage to address the issue for fear of losing votes.”

The SNP has previously criticised Ms Lamont for questioning whether such universal benefits are sustainable. The party last night declined to answer her latest challenge levelled at Mr Russell, but said: “In threatening to cut public services invested in by the SNP government such as free personal care, (to) reintroduce prescription charges on the sick, and impose tuition fees, Ms Lamont has become the Tories’ poster girl in Scotland, Wales, and no doubt England too.”

Meanwhile, the SNP has been challenged to publish a detailed breakdown of the costs of providing universal services over the next decade.

The gauntlet was thrown down by the Conservatives on the eve of a Holyrood debate that will examine how universal benefits such as free care for the elderly, tuition fees and free prescriptions can be funded in a time of economic crisis.

Today, MSPs will debate a  Labour motion saying “the continuation of universal entitlements must be considered openly and transparently, rather than in the current polarised terms”.

Last night, the Tories pointed out that the current cost of providing concessionary travel for those aged 60 and above is  £192 million, while moving to free prescriptions is estimated to have cost £38m a year.

The cost of providing these and other universal benefits is expected to increase dramatically over the next ten years.

The Tories lodged an amendment to Labour’s motion calling on the SNP to give the most  “accurate possible” forecasts on the costs of providing such services up until 2023.

Conservative finance spokesman Gavin Brown said: “With Scotland facing major demographic and social pressure, it’s impossible to have an honest and transparent debate on the future policy on universal services without these figures.”

The SNP had accused Labour of aligning themselves with the Tories by undertaking their  review of universal policies.

The issue was raised at Holyrood yesterday when Christina McKelvie, the SNP MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, argued that universal services were key to helping women stay in work. “Free personal care is often the difference that enables some women, who would otherwise be caring for elderly parents, to stay in work,” she said.

• According to the Scottish Government’s Beveridge Report, the main taxpayer funded universal services provided in Scotland are: Free personal and nursing care, concessionary travel, free prescription charges, free eye examinations, free school meals and tuition fees.