REALLY interesting to see a “rural business organisation” lobbying to halt further spending on land reform in our small local newspaper, and now a full two-page double spread on land reform in The National in the wake of government cuts.
This “rural business organisation” is, in fact, Scottish Land and Estates. If you google them, you find that the board of directors are actually some of the largest landowners in Scotland.
According to Revive – the coalition for grouse moor reform, estate sports contribute 0.02% of the Scottish economy but occupy 78% of our land mass.
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Former MSP Andy Wightman says 453 people own 50% of Scotland’s rural land. Compare this to France, where history has led to the French state having assets known as the Bien National – land which was confiscated from the church, aristocracy and private landowners and is now administered by the communes.
In contrast, in Scotland servility trumped rebellion, the poor had no lawyers and landowners got their hands on the millions of acres that were once held in common.
How is that relevant now?
Well, it means that while a French commune in the Alps, for instance, could build infrastructure on its land to cater for its tourists – a hotel, perhaps? – and the whole community can then share in its benefits, huge landowners in Scotland can monopolise huge tracks of land, perhaps buying any houses that come up for sale within their area of interest (in Denmark you can only buy a house or land if you are a resident and registered for tax purposes), let them out or not, as they choose, and price locals out of the area.
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They can also control the local economy, perhaps buy a local hotel and advertise the area as a route of huge natural beauty without developing the infrastructure to cater for resulting tourists … and while we all pay tax PAYE, they can afford an accountant to help them with tax avoidance.
And while the French commune has an income to develop for community benefit, each of our community councils are given £400 a year to cover their stationery.
And we wonder why so few engage in local democracy?
Then there is the possibility of land taxes. You hear right-wing politicians (and now Labour) explain that raising taxes would mean that the rich would leave with all their money. But they could not leave with all of their land.
Without real changes about who owns the land, we will never be able to adopt a genuinely decentralised form of government.
Land reform is essential.
Rebecca Machin
Ardvannie
IN its 25-year history the Scottish Parliament has done much to improve the quality of life of Scotland’s population, but as time goes by it seems to be becoming increasingly unwilling to seek alternatives to UK Unionist policies. It now tells us it has, in effect, run out of money and its future now seems to lie more and more in mitigating the political decisions of the recently elected Unionist Labour UK Government, while resisting all and any suggestions that it use its existing powers to means-test and tax the very rich – not the very poor.
One motion on the agenda of last week’s SNP conference was titled “Effective Use of Tax Powers”. The text included the words “Increase the tax contribution of higher earners across Scotland and explore realistic options for a wealth tax”. In the few days since this was overwhelming agreed by the conference, Finance Secretary Shona Robison claimed she had been left with no choice but to cut many millions of pounds from our public services. You cannot have it both ways, Ms Robison.
READ MORE:
A promise to expand free school meals to all pupils in primary six and seven was made in last year’s programme for government. This year’s document says funding will be targeted at expanding the benefit only to primary six and seven pupils whose families are in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment. This is despite John Swinney promising that ending child poverty is a priority. Perhaps our headteachers should apply for grants from Creative Scotland, as its budget has now somehow managed to escape the cuts. Meal times could be re-branded as a form of conceptual art or drama. Unlike the recipients of Creative Scotland’s grants, P6-7 children did presumably not get the time off to demonstrate in bizarre costumes dancing around fake coffins outside the Scottish Parliament.
I would sadly place a considerable bet that by the next SNP conference in spring 2025 no progress on means-testing the very rich will have been achieved and Graeme McCormick’s plan to replace all forms of taxation with an annual ground rent will remain unconsidered.
Having removed the Winter Fuel Payment from the majority of pensioners, there is increasing speculation that the UK Government is about to remove the 25% single person’s council tax discount. Perhaps Ms Robison could at least give us an assurance that this will not happen in Scotland. I won’t hold my breath.
Brian Lawson
Paisley
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