Reform's Scottish leader questions whether there are 'too many' universities

Malcolm Offord said “every barman” in Glasgow and Edinburgh has a degree and yet the country is short of "really good technical jobs".

He suggested the higher education sector should be "rebalanced" to encourage more young people to go to college.

Lord Offord said Scottish universities do not receive enough funding, while colleges have been “starved”.

READ MORE: Malcolm Offord: I have lost friends by defecting to Reform UK

During an online event hosted by the Institute for Government, he was asked how Reform’s policies would support the international influence of Scottish universities and their ability to attract global talent.

Lord Offord said Scottish universities “already are punching above their weight”, adding: "Something like between 13 and 15 per cent of research grants go to Scottish universities - punching above our weight. 

"We have a huge international student body - again, punching above our weight. So the universities are actually doing very well, but again, their funding settlement from the Scottish government has not been as generous as it should be.

"You might argue, have we got too many universities, question mark? We're now sending 50 per cent of young people to university. 

"Every barman in Glasgow, every barman in Edinburgh has got a degree, and yet we're short of really good technical jobs and we've starved our college sector."

He added: "Should we be rebalancing the economy so we've got more like 50 per cent of kids going to colleges with real apprenticeships attached, getting into meaningful jobs that will not be taken away by AI, whether you're a very highly skilled welder or a gas engineer or a chef. That's not going to be taken away by AI.

"Should we actually be rebalancing that sector? And my view is we should definitely be looking at that. But there’s no question that in terms of our research base in Scotland, we’re punching well above our weight.”

READ MORE: Reform vows huge income tax cut for Scots costing billions as Offord insists party can remove SNP

Some 40 per cent of young people in Scotland go on to higher education, while just over 20 per cent progress to further education colleges.

Reform is due to unveil its Holyrood election manifesto on Thursday, as well as its full list of candidates. Mr Offord has already announced he will stand in Inverclyde, a constituency which includes his native Greenock.

The multimillionaire defected to Reform from the Conservatives in December and was unveiled as the party’s new Scottish leader by Nigel Farage in January.

He was made a life peer in 2021, and served as a Scotland Office minister and business minister in the previous Tory administration at Westminster.

Lord Offord told Monday’s event he quit the Tories because they were a “one policy” party.

“They’re in a sort of co-dependent relationship with the SNP,” he said. “The SNP call for a referendum and the Conservatives say no to another referendum.”

He added that, as Scottish Conservative treasurer, he had been talking to donors “trying to whip up funds” but claimed that those he approached told him: “We can’t give you any money until the Conservatives in Scotland have got an ambitious policy for governing Scotland.”

On that he insisted: “The reality is they don’t.”