SNP stand accused of copping out of protecting tenants in land reform

[JP1]

Only just caught last night's C4 News and I'm not sure how long this C4 catch up link will play for last night's headlines

http://www.channel4.com/news/catch-up

Very emotive scenes from a visibly upset crofter at the end of the headlines

 

[Campbell]

I saw part of that. Need a local to give us the heads-up on Scottish land reforms. One statistic I heard was 500 people own over half of all land in Scotland.

 

[Giles1]

SNP are copping out of plenty just now.They have finally realised what a budget is.

 

[TheRanger]

I saw part of that. Need a local to give us the heads-up on Scottish land reforms. One statistic I heard was 500 people own over half of all land in Scotland.

'People' isn't really the correct term, many of the largest land holders at the top end of the list aren't actually people.

Forestry Commission Scotland, RSPB, John Muir Trust, National Trust for Scotland, Blair Charitable Trust, Scottish Executive, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Crown Estate are all within the top 20. Forestry Commission Scotland alone own over 10% of Scotland's land.

 

[DrDunc]

The SNP have really f*cked this up

(Apologies for the expletive).

There is the equivalent of the modern day highland clearances happening all over Scotland right now.

It started this spring at the seasonal lets, and is continuing at the November rent reviews; many tenants not on a secure lease are being evicted (and there hasn't been any secure leases given for decades).

This "allows" the land owner to claim they are actively farming, and can therefore claim the subsidy.

It also means that they don't need to fully compensate outgoing tenants for their improvements. This is "expected" to be rectified when the land reform act comes into effect. Currently there are cases where tenants have invested over half a million pounds over the years in buildings and infrastructure, improving the productive capacity and value of the land (predominantly without any owner investment) yet are being (legally) offered a few tens of thousands in waygo compensation.

The Scottish lands owners federation, and the land agents have repeatedly threatened the Scottish government with legal action over the proposed introduction of legislation that would strengthen the rights of tenants.

This is no empty threat either. There is a very large number of precedents that have already been set where land owners have won hugely beneficial judgements in the Scottish land court, supreme Court, and European human court of human rights.

Admittedly these have often been the result of the appallingly poorly draughted 2003 reform act attempted by the labour party.

However the owners and their agents have enormous wealth behind them to pay for court proceedings that generally cost more in lawyers fees than it would take to stock and equip the tenants farm several times over.

It is true that less than 500 people own over half of Scotland, which has a population of around 5.5 million.

The SNP missed a huge opportunity with this reform bill to fulfill one of there often repeated campaign slogans, and make Scotland a fairer society.

Instead, the balance of wealth and power is being further concentrated in the few often foreign, absentee, and even unknown owners of our land.



In case anybody hasn't noticed, I'm disgusted and sickened by the events unfolding here in the tenanted farming sector of Scotland. I am one of the dwindling number of very lucky (relative to the current lease terms offered) tenants on a secure '91 act tenancy. My heart felt sympathy goes to all my many colleague's who are facing such appalling treatment by the greed of the laird's and their agents.

 

[JP1]

I struggled to find a proper link to that article on C4 News last night.


Can anyone post it before it's lost when tonight's news is broadcast at 7pm?

 

[JP1]

The farmer visibly upset on camera was Andrew Stoddart, being evicted from November. Truly sad

 

[DrDunc]

There are tenants facing eviction that are active members of this farming forum. They are in the same situation to the farmer Andrew Stoddart who has been courageous enough to speak out publicly.



This Scottish government generated map gives an indication of how relatively few (often heritably titled) people own Scotland, and the area that is actually let

I can't find a map that shows a comparison of the small area still let through secure '91 act lease in comparison to new unsecured leases.

Everyone needs to remember that the term slipper farmer was created to describe the number of Scottish estates that ceased production, yet still legally claimed millions of pounds of EU subsidy.

 

[llamedos]

I struggled to find a proper link to that article on C4 News last night.


Can anyone post it before it's lost when tonight's news is broadcast at 7pm?

Try this link

 

[PSQ]

So, if they're no longer focused solely on the 'indie ref', and they're not producing new policies through any of their ministers, after 8 years in government - just what are they doing???

Well, right about now they'll be in a champagne reception in Aberdeen at their conference, celebrating the 'immense popularity' of their party, charging their glasses (on tax payer funded expenses) and slapping each others backs.
It reminds me of the last page of Orwell's 'Animal Farm', when the animals look through the farmhouse window, and they see the pigs and the humans drinking together, but they can't tell them apart.

 

[JP1]

So, if they're no longer focused solely on the 'indie ref', and they're not producing new policies through any of their ministers, after 8 years in government - just what are they doing???

Well, right about now they'll be in a champagne reception in Aberdeen, celebrating the immense strength of their party, charging their glasses (on tax payer funded expenses) and slapping each others backs.
It reminds me of the last page of Orwell's 'Animal Farm', when the animals look through the farmhouse window, and they see the pigs and the humans drinking together, but they can't tell them apart.

Reckon the C4 team have already flagged up their "interest" in health service provision, education provision and last night's land reform void was just a taster for their attention over the coming term

 

[DrDunc]

So, if they're no longer focused solely on the 'indie ref', and they're not producing new policies through any of their ministers, after 8 years in government - what are they doing???

Right about now they'll be in a champagne reception in Aberdeen, celebrating the immense strength of their party, charging their glasses (on tax payer funded expenses) and slapping each others backs.
It reminds me of the last page of Orwell's 'Animal Farm', when the animals look through the farmhouse window, and they see the pigs and the humans drinking together, but they can't tell them apart.

As much as I believe Scotland COULD be so much better off with independence from our southern, completely out of touch, masters, I must also sadly agree with the image you portray of the events in Aberdeen

 

[DrDunc]

The SNP created the agricultural holdings legislation review group (ahlrg) prior to drafting the land reform bill.

The ahlrg held public meeting to determine stakeholders opinions and issues at a grass roots level. They quickly became aware that tenants would not speak publicly for fear the information was reported to their laird.

They then arranged private meetings to get input from the tenants, away from their land agents ears. These meetings were mostly chaired by Andrew Thin, who was head of the crofters commission at the time when their members were given the absolute right to buy.

One of the main things the ahlrg were tasked with was to find ways of increasing the pool of land available for rent, particularly to young entrants.

It was considered that the absolute right to buy for the small number of '91 act secure tenants remaining (and it never was tabled for any other tenants), would not achieve the task of increasing land for rent.



The SNP have taken the recommendation's from the ahlrg and have, instead, created a situation where land area available for rent is vastly reduced. We are also seeing the appalling situation where tenants on term lets are being evicted as a direct result of the SNP's interpretation and implementation of the area based subsidy rules for EU subsidy. The eviction then provides the Laird the ability to claim the area subsidy for themselves, without producing anything.






The land reform bill is a sticking plaster being applied to a festering wound. The SNP promised surgery, and is instead delivering salt.

 

[TheRanger]

I'm afraid the only way to get rid of 'slipper farmers' claiming "millions of pounds of subsidy" is to vote to leave the European Union.

We have a landlady who we rent a single field from, she's taken back the right to claim the subsidy, we let it in the summer, she puts sheep on it in the winter. There's absolutely nothing Scotland (or any EU State for that matter) could do to stop her claiming it legally without opening a can of worms.

 

[Henarar]

We have a landlady who we rent a single field from, she's taken back the right to claim the subsidy, we let it in the summer, she puts sheep on it in the winter. There's absolutely nothing Scotland (or any EU State for that matter) could do to stop her claiming it legally without opening a can of worms

and why should there be ?

 

[rose pilchett]

just watched the CH4 programme, that lothians community will gain 900 acres blockcropping, planted and harvested by students on challengers and lexions and lose a farmer, (who has clearly invested in sheds etc), a farmworker and 7 children in local schools

agents get a bigger bonus

landlords short term get double the rent and long term BG, wild oats, depleted soils and burst drains

alas, that is the way things are heading...

 

[fitlike min]

SNP delegates at the Aiberdeen conference have rejected the motion on land reform as it is not radical enough.

Hope they can now produce a bill that will identify the owners of Scottish land and also allow secure 1991 act tenants the right to buy.