The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Independence war of words
SCOTTISH AND UK ministers have clashed over the future of higher education research, university tuition fees and immigration should Scotland vote for independence.
Education Secretary Michael Russell said a common research area across the UK would be the result of “sensible and respectful” negotiation, while the Scottish Government remains confident it will be able to continue to charge tuition fees to students from south of the border.
Mr Russell also insisted it was “perfectly possible” to have divergence on policies on immigration between Scotland and England, while remaining part of a common travel area.
Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael said there was no international precedent for sharing or replicating a system on the scale of the current UK arrangements for funding research across international borders.
Both politicians were addressing an Economic and Social Research Council conference entitled Higher Education, the Devolution Settlement and the Referendum on Independence.
Mr Russell said: “We will protect free access for Scottish-domiciled students.
“We also want to continue to attract students and researchers to our universities.
“To achieve this it is essential that Scotland is able to set its own policies on migration and citizenship.”
Mr Carmichael attacked the Scottish Government’s white paper, adding that Mr Russell “has nothing to offer the higher education sector in his vision of independence”.