Tory immigration policies risk over-reliance on Chinese students, ex-universities minister warns

Skidmore said: ‘I don’t want the Tories, in their dying days in government, to toxify and to contaminate and poison, permanently, a sector that contributes more than the oil and gas industry in this country.’ Photograph: Chris Radburn/PA

The Conservative party’s “scorched earth” immigration policies risk UK universities becoming increasingly reliant on students from China to avoid financial crisis, a former universities minister has said.

It comes as estimates suggest 25% of tuition fee income at leading British universities already comes from China.