FOR PETE'S SAKE

Uni principal Mathieson stays for free in £1.7m townhouse, picked up £880k in pay and expenses (but can't recall his salary) and enjoys luxury junkets abroad as campus faces £140m of cuts Also uni principal Mathieson: We're all skint.. make students pay for education

- BY JENNIFER HYLAND

A UNIVERSITY boss who said Scottish students could be charged tuition fees to solve a funding crisis was paid £881,789 in wages and expenses in just two years.

Edinburgh Univeristy principal Sir Peter Mathieson, who once claimed not to know his own £421,667 salary, said Scotland could adopt a salary-based “graduate repayment” scheme to help the struggling sector.

Mathieson, who we revealed lives rent-free in a £1.7million grace and favour Edinburgh townhouse, suggested the move as he said the higher education's existing funding model was “not sustainable”.

Sophia Woodman, UCU Edinburgh Branch Committee President said: “UCU Edinburgh is deeply disappointed to hear our principal, once again, blaming the higher education funding crisis on free tuition for undergraduate students resident in Scotland.

“Our branch stands strongly in support of UCU policy on an end to tuition fees, and will fight to maintain those where they exist.