EXCLUSIVE

THE SNP wants to use the constitutional settlement in Northern Ireland as part of its campaign against university tuition fees, by suggesting that anomalies facing students should be one of the first areas scrutinised by the proposed Council of the Isles.

Progress since the Good Friday agreement and last week's referendum have encouraged SNP leader Alex Salmond to talk in terms of new East-West relationships, and now he has seized an opportunity which combines fostering these links while continuing to embarrass the Government on an issue which remains contentious.

He has contacted the Irish Government, the Ulster Unionist leadership and the SDLP to suggest that the anomalies thrown up by the imposition of tuition fees would make an ideal practical issue for the Council of the Isles to take up.

Scottish Education Minister Brian Wilson dismissed the move as a political stunt.

University tuition fees have been abolished in the Irish Republic, and in common with other EU nations any of their students coming to Britain would have their tuition fees met by their own government.

When the Government decided to impose tuition fees in Britain, this threw up an immediate anomaly over the traditional four-year Scottish honours degree, and this was only resolved for Scottish students when Mr Wilson said the cost of their fourth year's fees would be met by the Scottish Office.

This leaves a burden on students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland which has now been seized on as an opening for the SNP to seek Irish and Ulster support to undermine the whole system.

The SNP will now seek to use pressure from the Council of the Isles to create at least an honours year exemption for students from Northern Ireland, who have traditional come to Scottish Universities in great numbers.

Party leader Alex Salmond said: ''These proposals are one of the many issues of substance which can be put into the Council of the Isles as it develops, so that the new structures play a meaningful part in the lives of the people of Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Wales, and mitigate the damaging policies being pursued by the Westminster Government.

''Indeed, in the context of these new developments I cannot see how it is possible for the Government's proposed discriminatory actions against Northern Irish, Welsh and English students to be sustained in the face of the emerging political reality of these islands.''

Mr Salmond made clear that the long-term aim remained the complete abolition of tuition fees, while short-term tactics would seek out every avenue for undermining the whole policy. ''Our campaign against tuition fees is an important part of our role as Scotland's Party. This proposal takes the campaign a stage further and will be followed by a vote against the legislation and an absolute commitment to re-establish the principle of free access to education in an independent Scotland,'' he said.

Explaining the latest move, he said: ''I have had several approaches from Northern Irish politicians about the discrimination against Northern Irish students and I am happy to confirm today that the SNP will discuss this matter with them as an urgent party of the Strand 3 proposals.

''Indeed, it is inconceivable that we would not wish to take such action and that we could leave Northern Irish students in such a situation at a time when the Irish Republic has just abolished tuition fees.''

Mr Salmond defended his dual-manifesto approach to this and other issues, stressing that it was logical to oppose an issue to the hilt at Westminster, state categorical what the SNP would promise in an independence context, and admit the limits on what could be achieved within a devolved Parliament, where they would do ''the utmost to mitigate its effects and work away at unpicking and undermining tuition fees''.

''What we are saying is that we will place as many spanners in the works as possible,'' said Mr Salmond, who believes that, if the case is won for Northern Irish students coming to Scotland, then the whole system will begin to unravel.

Education Minister Brian Wilson said: ''It's not a matter which would concern me and I am sure other parties would spot a ploy when they see it.

''I would have thought that parties like the Ulster Unionists and SDLP, who have made serious advances recently, would be a lot more interested in serious policies than getting involved in this kind of stunt.''