Meeting of the Parliament 21 March 2019
Before I start, I refer members to my entry in the register of interests, which says that I am a partner in a farming partnership. I also own land.
I hope that this will be an interesting debate. I believe that the Scottish Conservatives have played and always will play a constructive role in debates about land reform. In doing so, we have always been clear that we will support an individual’s property rights, whether they own a house, a croft, a farm or an estate—it will make no difference to us.
We have also been clear in saying that there are elements of land reform that we are happy to see progressed. Indeed, we support the moves towards transparency—as called for by the cabinet secretary—when it comes to who owns land and to ownership policy. It is sensible that the public should know who owns and manages the land.
We support community empowerment. Indeed, much of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 is based on United Kingdom Government legislation, which gave communities the right to bid, the right to build and the right to reclaim land. Finally, we support the growing diversity of land ownership, which includes private individuals, businesses, charities and communities. There is much that we have in common.
It is disappointing that we find ourselves unable to support the Government’s motion, which is because we do not believe that land reform is all about who owns what; what people do with the land that they own is more important. I recognise that land reform is a highly emotive subject. Having worked in the countryside for many years, I know that perhaps more than many others who express informed opinions on the subject from within a political bubble. I believe we can perhaps agree that if we are to address many of the issues, there is a need to be more dispassionate and to address the current issues, not the ones that existed before we started down the route of land reform in the Parliament many years ago.
Frankly, I am saddened that the Scottish Government and its agencies seem to be obsessing over ownership above all other considerations. As I said, it is not about who owns what or how much they own; it is what they do with the land that matters most. I think that the Government and all the parties represented in the Parliament should remember that.
I am saddened that the Labour Party also seems to be fixated on who owns what. As for the solution that Labour has put forward in its amendment, it is the same one that it puts forward every time: uncosted market intervention.