LABOUR accused the SNP government today of misleading students by reneging on a promise to cut their debt.

The Scottish government was urged to apologise after it was revealed that student debt in Scotland has almost doubled from £2.4 billion in 2010-11 to £5.5 billion in 2018-19.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard accused First Minister Nicola Sturgeon of backtracking on her party’s pledge, made before it came to power in 2007, to “dump the debt.” 

Mr Leonard said that the SNP leader is letting students down and urged Ms Sturgeon to apologise to people from low-income backgrounds who have had to rely on student loans. 

After the damning report was released by Audit Scotland earlier this week, the government has now been urged to implement a minimum student income based on a living wage.

The proposal was the recommendation of a government-commissioned report two years ago, but opposition MSPs say nothing has been done about it since.

Mr Leonard said: “We know that it is students from the poorest families who are forced to borrow the most.

“First Minister, will you simply admit that the SNP misled students and will you apologise?

“How many generations of Scottish students have to go through university before this government keeps any promise on support for student living?”

The First Minister denied the allegation that student loans burden working-class students, claiming that debt figures in Scotland are “significantly lower” than in other parts of Britain.

Ms Sturgeon said that students from poor areas receive more support than those in rich areas, while bursaries go to those who need them.

Questions were also asked about funding for universities themselves, which Mr Leonard claims have faced repeated cuts to budgets.

The Scottish Labour leader said that more money must be made available in next month’s budget to support universities.

The SNP leader claimed that Labour has “no credibility” on budgetary issues.

At First Minister’s Questions the government was also pressed on what is being done to ensure that renewable jobs are protected for Scottish workers.

Labour MSP Alex Rowley asked Ms Sturgeon what measures were in place to ensure that Scots benefit from the country’s resources.

The SNP leader pointed to a number of projects, including in Fife, Dundee and Eyemouth, which will provide renewable jobs.