Crown Estates

The appetite for independence for Scotland is fundamentally based on the principle that those who live in a particular community, in a particular territory are best placed to determine its destiny as they have the greatest stake in its future.

The continuing success of devolution has demonstrated this, and there has been no demand from the people of Scotland to surrender any powers from Holyrood to Westminster. Indeed the desire to see Scotland have control over all of her affairs, as is natural, continues to grow.

It is all the more surprising therefore, that the UK Government deems that there are still areas of the political process which the people of Scotland should not be responsible for themselves. The most recent example of this is the UK Government’s confirmation that they will not devolve control of the Crown Estate to the Scottish Parliament, ignoring both good sense and the wishes of the people of Scotland.

The Crown Estate comprises large amounts of land around Scotland’s coast, as well as several inland areas. This is public land in Scotland and should, therefore, be accountable to the Scottish Parliament – especially when the majority of environmental, agriculture, fisheries and economic development issues are devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

It is only logical that Scotland can and should have responsibility for the conservation, development and economic benefit of her own coastline, seabed and offshore territory, not to mention local development such as the pier at Crovie. In fact, I have no doubt that if responsibility for the Crown Estate had lain with the Scottish Parliament local people campaigning for repairs to the pier at Crovie would have found it much easier to convince the authorities of the need for action.

The irony of this is that in opposition the LibDems actively campaigned for devolution of the Crown Estate, but in coalition government with the Tories, they have reneged on that by rejecting cross-party calls for full devolution of these considerable assets to the Scottish Parliament.

For those of us in coastal communities seeking fair influence over the Crown Estate, and indeed any of our local and national affairs, it is increasingly clear that the only way forward is with a Yes vote for independence.

Spilt milk

As milk prices continue to plummet, while costs and overheads continue to rise, Scotland’s dairy farmers have had a tough time of it. Little wonder that farmers from across the UK attended a mass demonstration at Westminster to voice their concerns about the latest round of milk price cuts.

The National Farmers Union Scotland has highlighted that these price cuts could force farmers out of business, ultimately pushing up the price of milk for all of us in the long term.

The frustration our dairy farmers are feeling has served to underline the need for action to tackle the issue of dairy prices. In response, the Scottish Government has unveiled a five-point action plan to tackle these pricing issues.

The action plan comprises calling for a ministerial summit to discuss solutions and legislation; asking for the appointment of an independent facilitator to establish a voluntary code of practice between producers and processors; demanding that retailers make clear to consumers how much producers receive for their milk; commissioning a long-term strategic review of the dairy industry and ensuring the Scottish Agricultural Organisations Society can continue and develop their work on producers’ organisations and co-operatives.

It is incumbent upon us as politicians, as well as everyone in the supply chain to find a sustainable solution which meets the needs of our dairy farmers, ensuring they are paid a fair price for their product, while maximising this valuable economic asset for Scotland.