Scottish Government on the ball with land reform
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JOHANN Lamont told Scottish Labour in Inverness that a compulsory right to buy should become available to urban and rural communities if they so wished; fiery words but no detail if it is to be taken seriously.
However, the pace of land reform is quickening not slacking under the SNP government. The first priority concerns laws passed in 2003 which needed some years to bed in. Ten years on, post-legislative scrutiny is under way through the Scottish government’s Land Reform Review Group.
As the convener of the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment committee, I am proud to lead parliamentary scrutiny of its progress. Evidence is mounting that land reform measures passed under the Lab
The 2003 community right to buy has performed less than perfectly. The rules defy some applicants. Also, the 2003 Agricultural Holdings Act has in part required recourse by the Lord Advocate to appeal the Salvesen
The Lab-Lib Dem executive promoted and passed the Cairngorm National Park Bill whilst excluding north Perthshire. Could they not stomach the SNP-led Perth and Kinross council in the set-up? It took the minority SNP government of 2007 to put that right without opposition.
By 2007, the Lib
I’m sure that Labour could actually work with the SNP and other parties to address the core issues of access to land for housing and work purposes. All across the Highlands I’m told we need practical means to develop land reform laws so that affordable housing, community business and renewable energy can become significantly easier options without huge public expense.
I’m sure that the commanding heights of the European Convention of Human Rights can be challenged to champion the public interest if we speak with a united voice. That could help Scots gain ownership, access and use of our land resources while arbitrary bouts of platform rhetoric have to be tempered by reasoned policy development. That is the SNP Scottish government approach. I ask others to engage to make that united voice heard.
THE launch of Team Scotland’s “Go Scotland!” public support campaign for the athlete selection for next year’s Commonwealth Games took place last week. It aims to have its largest and most successful team ever next year in Glasgow.
With many of our athletes having experienced first-hand the excitement and passionate home crowd of a home Olympic Games at London 2012, Team Scotland want to build that national feelgood factor right here in Scotland.
Go Scotland! will raise the awareness of the 17 sports in the games and give a greater profile to the athletes aiming for selection to the team.
We know just how much Scots here and across the country love their sport and how proud they are of their athletes, so I would encourage you to show your support by signing up to become an official team supporter at www.goscotland.org. You can also follow Team Scotland on Facebook and on twitter @team_scotland or tweet using #GoScotland.
FINALLY, some facts about the pound. It is every bit as much Scotland’s currency as it is that of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The SNP Independence position for the sterling area to continue was recommended by Nobel Prize winning economists of the Fiscal Commission, who are clear that it is in the UK’s best interests as well as Scotland’s.
A formal monetary union between an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK will provide the full flexibility to set tax and spending decisions to target key opportunities and challenges in Scotland.
Rob Gibson is SNP MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.
