Less than glowing press for the SNP today, after probing by the Scottish Conservatives revealed that their manifesto pledge — supposedly cemented by the “historic” concordat with Scotland’s local authorities — to cut class sizes in Primaries 1 to 3 to a maximum of 18 pupils, would cost not the £40 million which the nationalists originally reckoned, but a budget-busting £422 million.

• Daily Record: “SNP blasted over class size 'con'”
• Herald: “Tories attack ‘flawed’ SNP plan to reduce class sizes”
• Press & Journal: “SNP’s flagship class size policy attacked in ‘damning’ dossier”
• Scotsman: “Tories claim SNP class size target policy is illegal and unworkable”
• Telegraph: “Councils refuse to sign up to SNP class size pledge”
• Times: “SNP 'ditches' pledge to cut Primary class sizes to 18”

So either the policy is dead in the water or various other important educational priorities will now be sidelined. Expect a diversionary, self-congratulatory press release from the SNP tomorrow.