Land Reform Matters

With plaudits like “radical”, “transformative”, and “new dawn for land reform” being thrown about by the Scottish government, the land reform (Scotland) bill had its final passage through Holyrood during March.

But for many underwhelmed land reform campaigners, this new act represents unfinished business.

Voted through Holyrood by 102 votes to 14, the legislation includes new protections for tenant farmers and an end to tax relief for sporting estates and is accompanied by a new Scottish Land Fund opening on 1 April with £10m available to help community buy-outs.

But amendments that would have restricted the amount of land that one individual can own, and prevented land ownership via offshore tax havens, were voted down by SNP and Conservative backbenchers following a lengthy debate, to the huge disappointment of the wider land reform movement.

As the Guardian reported, Andy Wightman, land reform spokesman for the Scottish Greens and MSP candidate for Lothian, said:

“The limited nature of this legislation demonstrates that we need a bolder Holyrood with more Green voices. With a government majority it’s simply baffling that the SNP – whose own membership has been agitating for radical measures – have passed up the opportunity to deliver real reforms.

The Green bid to clamp down on the use of tax havens goes to the heart of understanding who owns Scotland. As we have seen this week with the uncovering of the complex corporate affairs of the Buccleuch Estates, there is an urgent need to ensure transparency in who profits from Scottish land.”