Reflections on land reform and a vision for the future
Concern at the inequity of land ownership in Scotland is not new of course.
It is no surprise, therefore, that securing meaningful land reform has been a common motivator across most – though not all – of the political parties in Scotland
However, intentions are not enough. Some 26 years on from Donald Dewar’s lecture and the establishment of the Land Reform Policy Group, and 25 since the Parliament was opened for business, it is worth taking stock of actual progress in the light of the history, the undoubted commitments, and the actual legislation that has been passed in that quarter century.
I want to attempt a little of that today, and in so doing I shall argue that whilst there is a surprising continuity of both policy and commitment in the process since devolution, it now demands both a greater sense of urgency and a wider support base in order to achieve what so many have wished for.
Moreover, I think it is clear that both urgency and support need to be informed by a firm factual basis, including more detailed information on the benefits of land reform for communities and citizens, and some practical demonstration to them that such is indeed the case.