No it wouldn’t because very few Scottish students would shell out £9k a year to study in England when they can do so for free in Scotland.
This situation adequately demonstrates the enormous folly that is devolution. This ridiculous idea, ostensibly introduced to give constituent parts of the country a greater say over its affairs, has thrown up countless injustices, some of which have been mentioned here. There is no more justification for prescriptions to be free in Wales or tuition to be free in Scotland than there is for them to be free in Liverpool or Cornwall. The taxes which pay for these services are gathered nationally (i.e. across the UK) and it is actually easily arguable that a greater proportion of the revenue originates in areas which do not benefit from the “free” services. These should be for the benefit of all UK citizens equally according to their need and not dependent upon where the live.
It was an inevitable consequence of giving second and third tier politicians control over cash to which they had no genuine right. It is suggested by them that they are merely prioritising their funds in a way that best suits their constituents. Yeah, right. So tell me what the Scottish Parliament has decided need not be funded so that they can provide free prescriptions and university tuition.
The parish councils that masquerade as “Parliaments” in the three devolved areas should be dismantled forthwith and a return to a UK-wide fair provision of services restored. Either that or those areas should be granted immediate and full independence. Then they can raise and spend what they like. Without one or other of these remedies the sort of injustices mentioned here will simply become more commonplace.