Offering to pay for EU students shows degree of recklessness on Swinney’s part

John Swinney, the Scottish Education Secretary, has announced that European students beginning their studies at Scottish universities next year will receive free tuition and other financial support for the duration of their courses, which in some cases could be five years.

More than 13,312 EU nation- als enrolled in 2014-2015, up from 6,738 in 2006-2007 and the cost just keeps rising.

Scottish taxpayers already pay more than £27 million a year to fund the free university education of EU nationals coming to study here in Scotland.

Giving “free EU education” just to curry favour in Europe will only add to Scotland’s £15 billion fiscal black hole.

As Eben Wilson, director of Taxpayer Scotland, succinctly said: “Scotland simply cannot go on making promises to spend money that does not exist.”

Meanwhile, Scottish police officers are being forced to use duct tape and cable ties to keep their vehicles on the road. CLARK CROSS Springfield Road

Linlithgow So education secretary John Swinney has confirmed that students from EU countries commencing courses next year in Scottish universities will continue to receive free tuition throughout their entire degree programme despite Brexit.

With the UK due to exit the EU in 2019 this is unlikely to be a binding legislative requirement – but possibly a fair decision.

But the SNP has also made clear British students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland must continue to pay fees at the full rate.

And do Nicola Sturgeon and the rest of the SNP establishment really still maintain, and with a straight face, that it’s all about civic nationalism? MARTIN REDFERN Royal Circus

Edinburgh