First Minister John Swinney has been told to set out a clear plan to save jobs at Dundee University after frustration at the scale of support.
He was grilled at Holyrood two days after the university confirmed more than 600 jobs are on the line in the battle to address a £35 million deficit.
The Courier previously revealed job losses at the university could be in excess of 500, and it’s understood politicians were made aware of the scale of the challenge in advance of the public announcement.
At First Minister’s Questions, Dundee-based Labour MSP Michael Marra said Mr Swinney has known about the scale of potential job losses “for weeks” – something the first minister did not deny.
University plan ‘deeply troubling’
Mr Marra wants the SNP Government to provide an “industrial style” bailout for the troubled institution in a bid to save jobs.
“The first minister has known about the scale of potential job losses at the University of Dundee for weeks,” he said.
“He has not been blindsided and he cannot say that he is shocked.
“The question now is when will he act.”
Mr Swinney said he found the university recovery plan – unveiled on Tuesday – “deeply troubling”.
He added: “The government is going to continue its deep and serious involvement in working with the funding council to support the University of Dundee.
“This issue is right at the top of my agenda because I want to make sure the future of the University of Dundee is secured.
“I will do everything I can to make sure that’s the case.”
The first minister also faced demands for a “cross-party” discussion on the long-term financial settlement for Scottish university’s.
The sector says the current funding settlement for Scottish students is inadequate.
Shane O’Neill, Dundee University’s interim principal, said the university is not given “sufficient” cash to educate Scottish students.
He explained: “This has been a sector wide problem for quite a while, and I think, some of the institution specific reasons for the crisis we’re in, we would be able to bounce back more easily if those problems of structural underfunding weren’t there in the first place.”
North East Fife MSP Willie Rennie – along with Tory MSP Jamie Greene – called on the first minister to have a grown up conversation about wider funding.
Mr Rennie previously demanded action after a report showed almost half of the country’s higher education institutions fell into financial deficit in 2024.
Speaking after the exchanges, Mr Marra said: ““If SNP MSPs and ministers say they are shocked at this week’s news, they have not been paying attention.
“Further delays of weeks or months are entirely unacceptable and would put the very survival of the institution at risk.
“If the SNP Government genuinely believes the jobs cuts are unacceptable then they should have acted sooner. But they absolutely must act now.”
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