After promising to open up higher education and not increase taxes, Labour has decided to put a £1000 ($1600) /year fee on students who wish to attend any Scottish or English university.

This further puts Labour where the Tory party, the big losers this May, were on education issues. University - only if you can afford it

This looks as much like a tax on education as the poll tax looked like a tax on voting.

Andrew Welsh, the SNP's (Scottish National Party) spokesman on education, said: "It's ironic that Ireland has abolished tuition fees at the very time London Labour is imposing them on students in Scotland. It's a direct result of Labour adopting Tory spending plans which will see Scottish spending cut by £1.5bn over this year and next.