Land Reform was introduced when a Scottish Parliament was formed in 1999.
This was followed by Laws that allowed
owners of large Highland estates to be stripped of their land and evicted.
This was followed by Laws that allowed
owners of large Highland estates to be stripped of their land and evicted.
Devolved Scottish Parliament.
I quote to you part of Donald Dewar's speech at the opening of the Scottish Parliament 1 July 1999:
"A Scottish Parliament. Not an end: A means to greater ends. And those too are part of our mace. Woven into its symbolic thistles are those four words: Wisdom. Justice. Compassion. Integrity."
Empty words that have failed to deliver.
I would like to remind the Scottish Parliament that they are a Devolved Parliament working under licence that can be revoked.
I quote to you part of Donald Dewar's speech at the opening of the Scottish Parliament 1 July 1999:
"A Scottish Parliament. Not an end: A means to greater ends. And those too are part of our mace. Woven into its symbolic thistles are those four words: Wisdom. Justice. Compassion. Integrity."
Empty words that have failed to deliver.
I would like to remind the Scottish Parliament that they are a Devolved Parliament working under licence that can be revoked.
ON SCOTLAND'S CONSCIENCE. A literary production from the combined efforts of Cunningham, Foxley, Hunter and Wilson. Kessock Books ISBN 978-8-9930296-5-3
The book seems to support spending Taxpayers money in pursuit of a Utopean fantasy.
A comment from an un-named Highland Regional Councillor sums it up... All that the HIDB has done is waste public money. But thank God that money is being wasted here.
The book seems to support spending Taxpayers money in pursuit of a Utopean fantasy.
A comment from an un-named Highland Regional Councillor sums it up... All that the HIDB has done is waste public money. But thank God that money is being wasted here.
The 1972 Laird of Knoydart.
In 1972 Knoydart Estate was bought by Major Nigel Chamberlayne-Macdonald who was a member of the Queens Household. Major Macdonald made a valiant attempt to restore the Estate's fortunes by building a fish farm, a venison processing plant and numerous other expensive improvements. Constructing the hydroelectric system fed by Loch Bhraomisaig on the slopes of Ben Buidhe was unbelievably complex and costly.
Major Macdonald cared deeply about the welfare of the people who lived in Knoydart and did everything he could to try and find a solution. After more than a decade of unrelenting losses the Estate had to be sold and more people drifted away.
Starting on page 63 of the book entitled "ON SCOTLAND'S CONSCIENCE" Knoydart appears again with details of the change of ownership that took place in 1999.
The back cover of the book states that it is a book that will have Scotland talking about where we are and where we should be going.
Consequently I would like to point out that it is easy to be a winner when there is no requirement to pay back the vast sums of money being used in setting up what is currently referred to as Land Reform.
Try competing on equal terms and see how far you get.
Rhodes and others involved in ripping off Knoydart were beneath contempt, but it could equally be said that Land Reform and some of the people behind it also give a lot of cause for concern.
In 1972 Knoydart Estate was bought by Major Nigel Chamberlayne-Macdonald who was a member of the Queens Household. Major Macdonald made a valiant attempt to restore the Estate's fortunes by building a fish farm, a venison processing plant and numerous other expensive improvements. Constructing the hydroelectric system fed by Loch Bhraomisaig on the slopes of Ben Buidhe was unbelievably complex and costly.
Major Macdonald cared deeply about the welfare of the people who lived in Knoydart and did everything he could to try and find a solution. After more than a decade of unrelenting losses the Estate had to be sold and more people drifted away.
Starting on page 63 of the book entitled "ON SCOTLAND'S CONSCIENCE" Knoydart appears again with details of the change of ownership that took place in 1999.
The back cover of the book states that it is a book that will have Scotland talking about where we are and where we should be going.
Consequently I would like to point out that it is easy to be a winner when there is no requirement to pay back the vast sums of money being used in setting up what is currently referred to as Land Reform.
Try competing on equal terms and see how far you get.
Rhodes and others involved in ripping off Knoydart were beneath contempt, but it could equally be said that Land Reform and some of the people behind it also give a lot of cause for concern.
Scotland and England are United
The 1707 Act of Union resulted in the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
After the Jacobite rebellion of 1715 the British Government embarked on an extensive programme of road building in an attempt to restore order to a troublesome part of the Highlands.
Between 1724 and 1767 some 1,100 miles of road was constructed. It was started under the direction of
General George Wade, who retired in 1747. In 1732 Major William Caulfield joined the project and continued to oversee construction untill his death in 1767.
When Caulfield died in 1767 it brought to an end the highland road building programme.
Wade was credited with 300 miles and Caulfield with the remaining 800 miles.
By 1803 the Commissioners of Highland Roads and Bridges was established.
Throughout the 19th century the roads network was expanded and improved by Thomas Telford and others.
Hopefully centuries of war and bloodshed between England and Scotland had come to an end and would never be repeated again.
In 1883 the Parliament of the United Kingdom commissioned a report on the conditions of crofters and cottars in the Scotttish Highlands and Islands. In due course the 1883 investigation by the Napier Commission resulted in The Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886, followed by the formation of the Crofters Commission.
The 1890 and 1910 Crofting Act and the Crofting Reform Act guaranteed fair rents and security of tenure.
Some people might consider 300 year old data on road building to have absolutely no relevance as to how the newly formed Scottish Parliament is run, or the contentious matter of Scottish Land Reform.
When a newly formed Parliament of the United Kingdom was created at the start of the 18th century they spent some 43 years building approximately 1,100 miles of Scottish roads under extremely difficult conditions.
In 1886 they produced an Act that guaranteed Scottish cottars and crofters security of tenure.
No claim is being made that life was ideal, but I would like to remind those obsessed with independance that it was a British Parliament which introduced the Housing Act for Scotland and the NHS, etc.
Almost every year since the Scottish Parliament was formed in 1999 they have brought out new Bills and
new Acts designed to destroy our civil liberties and the laws that protect us from oppression.
It is now allmost impossible to lodge an objection against the blatant abuse that is taking place.
The Mushroom Technique.
"Feed them crap and keep them in the dark".
You can probably depend on the Scottish Parliament and SNP being up to speed with this particular philosophy.
Aesops Fable: The Fox that lost its tail.
Aesop - An Ethiopian or Greek slave who wrote fables sometime between 620 and 560 BC.
A fox caught in a trap escaped and so doing lost its tail, which made life difficult.
This was a cunning fox who had survived for many years by manipulating and fooling others.
Creating a diversion to focus attention elsewhere was one way of covering up discrepancies.
So the deceitful fox called a meeting of all the other foxes and told them of the numerous advantages to be gained should they cut off their tails. Having frequently misled others in the past it was easy to convincingly lie about the benefits of having no tail.
Aesop - An Ethiopian or Greek slave who wrote fables sometime between 620 and 560 BC.
A fox caught in a trap escaped and so doing lost its tail, which made life difficult.
This was a cunning fox who had survived for many years by manipulating and fooling others.
Creating a diversion to focus attention elsewhere was one way of covering up discrepancies.
So the deceitful fox called a meeting of all the other foxes and told them of the numerous advantages to be gained should they cut off their tails. Having frequently misled others in the past it was easy to convincingly lie about the benefits of having no tail.
DUTY OF CARE
Leading others involves a duty of care that is difficult to fulfill when the leader is subject to the effects of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Some senior Politicians lead by example, while others prefer the use of smoke and mirrors. Every year sees the emergence of a never ending list of Acts, containing yet even more Amendments to what is referred to as Scottish Land Reform. The system being used seems to have more in common with Stalin's Siberian Gulags, than acceptable legal practise. Owners of large Highland Estates are being treated like criminals and their Civil, Legal, and Democratic Rights as British citizens being ignored.
The situation is disgraceful.
Barry Lomas of Pairc Estate on the Isle of Lewis was putting together a multi-million pound renewable energy project, when he was locked into 10 years of litigation as a result of the contentious Land Reform Act.
The Land Reform Act was used to block the project from proceeding. Tenants of Pairc Estates apparently already had control over a large area of Pairc Estates, due to protection under the Crofting Acts and Crofting Reform Acts. Consequently they would have received massive payments, as a natural consequence of events.
Renewable energy would have replaced fossil fuels and the local economy would have received a massive financial boost. The British taxpayer would also benefit. Plus there was the added benefit, that instead of yet another of those Community Buyouts receiving around 30 million pounds of taxpayers money to form a Trust, the situation would be reversed and money would be coming in for a change instead of going out.
The logical outcome did not materialise.
Matters are still not fully resolved and Scottish Land Reform is very clearly not working and is Unfit for Purpose.
You wouldn't need to be related to Einstein to figure it out.
There have been more than 14 Community Buyouts where the transaction was classified as a Trust, or a
form of ownership that avoids paying tax and trades under Ltd status with liability not exceeding £100.
Best of all the taxpayer usually has to sponser the situation financially, at massive cost for the next 40 years.
The Land Owners of large areas of land are labelled as the parasites, but most of them pay their way and have massive operating costs. You won't see very many of the people who insist on the "Right to Roam" the Laird's
land, go out of their way to leave the Factor a tenner to help pay for the upkeep of the facilities that they make free with so readily.
Leading others involves a duty of care that is difficult to fulfill when the leader is subject to the effects of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Some senior Politicians lead by example, while others prefer the use of smoke and mirrors. Every year sees the emergence of a never ending list of Acts, containing yet even more Amendments to what is referred to as Scottish Land Reform. The system being used seems to have more in common with Stalin's Siberian Gulags, than acceptable legal practise. Owners of large Highland Estates are being treated like criminals and their Civil, Legal, and Democratic Rights as British citizens being ignored.
The situation is disgraceful.
Barry Lomas of Pairc Estate on the Isle of Lewis was putting together a multi-million pound renewable energy project, when he was locked into 10 years of litigation as a result of the contentious Land Reform Act.
The Land Reform Act was used to block the project from proceeding. Tenants of Pairc Estates apparently already had control over a large area of Pairc Estates, due to protection under the Crofting Acts and Crofting Reform Acts. Consequently they would have received massive payments, as a natural consequence of events.
Renewable energy would have replaced fossil fuels and the local economy would have received a massive financial boost. The British taxpayer would also benefit. Plus there was the added benefit, that instead of yet another of those Community Buyouts receiving around 30 million pounds of taxpayers money to form a Trust, the situation would be reversed and money would be coming in for a change instead of going out.
The logical outcome did not materialise.
Matters are still not fully resolved and Scottish Land Reform is very clearly not working and is Unfit for Purpose.
You wouldn't need to be related to Einstein to figure it out.
There have been more than 14 Community Buyouts where the transaction was classified as a Trust, or a
form of ownership that avoids paying tax and trades under Ltd status with liability not exceeding £100.
Best of all the taxpayer usually has to sponser the situation financially, at massive cost for the next 40 years.
The Land Owners of large areas of land are labelled as the parasites, but most of them pay their way and have massive operating costs. You won't see very many of the people who insist on the "Right to Roam" the Laird's
land, go out of their way to leave the Factor a tenner to help pay for the upkeep of the facilities that they make free with so readily.
It is unbelievable that the British public are forced to support Scottish Land Reform.
Many people in Britain can barely pay their mortgage.
Many more will never own their own home.
Why should their taxes be used to purchase land from which they will never receive any benefit?
Who wanted Land Reform? It was dreamt up as a shortcut to personal profit by a small group of people some 4 years after the government offered to transfer ownership of its crofting estates on Sky and Raasay.
In 1989 the then Conservative government offered to transfer ownership of its crofting estates on Sky and Raasay to the crofting communities living on these estates. The government's Sky and Raasay tenants rejected the offer of community ownership.
Crofters have had a legal right to buy their crofts for 15 times the annual rent for decades.
Tenancy is protected.
Grant funding is paid regularly, even building a house is subject to a grant and topped up with a loan.
Why have there been so many unacceptable changes in the last 20 years?
A number of people think it started in 1999 when a Scottish Parliament was forced on us.
In all probability it likely began a long time before that in 1986.
In 1986 a newly appointed Highland Regional Councillor became the chair of Highland Council's
Land and Environment Committee.
The following data is a verbatim extract from the Council Minutes:
...................................................................................................................................................................
Lochaber District Council
Housing Committe 26th May 1992
63(a)-
2) HOUSING SITE AT ACHAPHUBUIL.
The Committee noted that the Council had purchased an area of land extending to 1.018 hectares at Achaphubuil in 1980 and the land had remained undeveloped.
The land was subject to an undefined right of grazings by the crofting tenant of no 2 Achaphubuil.
An application had been received from the crofting tenant to purchase the land for agricultural purposes.
The Committee recommended approval of the Director's reccomendation that the land be retained in the Council's ownership.
Lochaber District Council Minute
30th June 1992
(5) Housing Site at Achaphubuil (p 63 (a) para. 6 (2)
After hearing Councillor I. Thornber, the Council agreed to sell the area of land extending to 1.018 hectares to the crofting tenant of No. 2 Achaphubuil on District Valuer's terms and subject to the purchaser returning the land to the District Council if required by the Council for housing purposes and on District Valuer's terms.
....................................................................................................................................................................
In 1982 the inimitable crofting tenant of of No. 2 Achaphubuil had raised a Land Court Hearing over his alleged grazing rights and lost the case:
1982 SLCR73. Res Judicata. Application dismissed as incompetent.
The full details of this case can be obtained by using the Scottish Land Court web site.
It is neither complicated or expensive.
The crofting tenant of of No. 2 Achaphubuil made no mention of 1982 SLCR73 and did not use his name or declare that he was a Councillor when applying to purchase the Council land in 1992.
The application was lodged as being from a crofter with (alleged) grazing rights.
The Seven Principles of Public Life by the Nolan Committee are very clear regarding required standards.
A Conflict of Interest Situation existed that should have been flagged up and declared.
The secretive crofting tenant of No. 2 Achaphubuil was a Councillor from 1986 through to 2012.
At the time of lodging the application he was the chair of Highland Council's Land and Environment Committee and also led for the Council on Land Reform.
Throughout the application process the Applicant is referred to only as the "crofting tenant of No. 2 Achaphubuil". Nowhere does it disclose that the Applicant is a Councillor and chair of Highland Council's Land and Environment Committee.
The 1.018 hectare proposed building site was zoned for low cost public housing, but ended up being sold to the crofting tenant of No. 2 Achaphubuil for £200.
The Relevant Feu Disposition was duly recorded in the Registers of Scotland. General Register of Sasines.
County of Argyll. Fisch 469. Frame 32. Presented and Recorded on 15 Dec 1994.
Dr Michael Foxley, the "crofting tenant of No. 2 Achaphubuil" is an experienced career politician.
He currently receives large payments from each appointment listed below:
Chair, UHI FE Regional Board.
Chair, Highlands and Islands Regional Forestry Forum.
Board Member, Scottish Fire and Rescue Services.
Board Member, NHS Highland.
Board Member, Crown Estate Scotland.
Board Membership is extremely lucrative and does not require much effort or skill.
Appointments are awarded by the Scottish Government and is an example of yet another public body affording
ministers increased powers of patronage to appoint cronies.
Ministerial Appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland.
Tempus Fugit. Tempus tuum in terra carrum est et eum prudenter uti est.
Transparency and Accountability.
The Scottish Parliament seems to be run along the lines of a Third World Banana Republic.
Checks and balances appear to be virtually non-existant. When we had a British Parliament a proposed Act had to be checked and approved by the House of Lords, before it could be be accepted and become Law.
Anything frivolous or irrelevant was thrown out, and quite rightly so.
Should you think there is no cause for concern, have a look at what happens on failure to tug the forelock when commanded to do so:
Commission for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland.
Public Standards Commissioner.
Complaint Number: LA/H/1086
Date case started: 05 Jan 2011
Decision issued: 29 March 2011
Locating all of the relevant details regarding LA/H/1086 is not complicated as it is a matter of Public Record
Transparency and Accountability.
The Scottish Parliament seems to be run along the lines of a Third World Banana Republic.
Checks and balances appear to be virtually non-existant. When we had a British Parliament a proposed Act had to be checked and approved by the House of Lords, before it could be be accepted and become Law.
Anything frivolous or irrelevant was thrown out, and quite rightly so.
Should you think there is no cause for concern, have a look at what happens on failure to tug the forelock when commanded to do so:
Commission for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland.
Public Standards Commissioner.
Complaint Number: LA/H/1086
Date case started: 05 Jan 2011
Decision issued: 29 March 2011
Locating all of the relevant details regarding LA/H/1086 is not complicated as it is a matter of Public Record