The Empress of Scotland has spoken

Rake Aboot

Well-Known Member
Well Empress helmet heed had pinned her colors to the mast.

Shooting estates are gettin it.

More power to use against land owners and removal of tax breaks for Estates involved in shooting.
 
Just read the proposals on the BBC website. Country sports, which are a significant employer and source of revenue in rural areas of Scotland, are in for a rough ride. It's the same class-based view that spurred Labour to introduce the hunting ban.
 
just read the bbc news and shooting and deerstalking estates are in the firing line. It will be interesting to see the small print about these proposals but one first reading it looks like they are going after shooting in scotland. regards sbm
 
Now bend over, you knew it was coming.
The SNP's vision as Scotland to become the playground of Europe has begun.
Scottish estates will no longer be viable and Manors will be turned into hotels for the rich. No doubt f'ing golf courses will start to appear as will pony paddocks
 
Well Empress helmet heed had pinned her colors to the mast.

Shooting estates are gettin it.

More power to use against land owners and removal of tax breaks for Estates involved in shooting.

It might amuse you to see the same reference to the First Minister's hairstyle on the Guardian website - Comments section.

#1 I'd like to be able to take Sturgeon seriously but whenever I listen to her speak my eyes get drawn to her hair, it is THE haircut from hell.

#2 If you are shallow enough to judge politicians on the basis of their haircuts there is practically no hope for you. Are you possibly a hairdresser? What would you advise as a proper First Minister hairdo? The Maggie? The Kinnock? The Cameron comb over? Please enlighten everyone with the depth of you political nous.

On to more serious content ..... this is what was actually said in the Chamber:-

The Government also intends to embark on a radical programme of land reform. Scotland’s land must be an asset that benefits the many, not the few. Next week, we will publish a policy statement on land rights and responsibilities and will begin consultation on a range of proposals to be included in our proposed land reform bill. The bill will be part of a wider programme of reform and, before its introduction, we will set out our response to all 62 of the land reform review group’s recommendations.

It is intended that the following key proposals will be among those to be included in the bill. First, we propose powers for ministers to intervene where the scale of land ownership or the conduct of a landlord is acting as a barrier to sustainable development. Secondly, we propose the establishment of a Scottish land reform commission. Thirdly, we propose measures to improve the transparency and accountability of land ownership and make information on land, its value and its ownership more readily available in one place. Fourthly, we propose action to ensure that charities that hold large areas of land are under an obligation to engage with local communities. Finally, we propose the removal of business rates exemptions for shooting and deerstalking estates. Those exemptions were put in place by the Tories in 1994 to protect the interests of major landowners, and ending the exemptions will help the Government to more than treble the Scottish land fund from £3 million this year to £10 million a year from 2016. That will help us to ensure that we meet our target of having 1 million acres of land in community ownership by 2020.

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 was undoubtedly one of the landmark pieces of legislation of our first parliamentary session. However, land reform remains unfinished business. The proposals that I am announcing today will take us on the next stage of that journey and be of benefit to communities across Scotland.
 
Rateable Value is based on the estimated rental value of the sporting rights, IIRC. Rates for the current financial year in England are charged at 48p per £ of rateable value, so it could be a fairly significant amount in some cases
 
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Typical of politicains they have there head so far in the sand/up there arse they have no idea wot's going on.

This 2003 land reform act which is such a success, they should come down and actually speak to either tennant farmes or the landowners. None are happy

The landowners a scared to let any of there farms on decent long term leases now for fear of the tennant wanting to buy it at any time they want, many leases have been torn up and farmers are attempting to run there business's on a year to year basis.
How is that good for anything? U have thousands of pounds of livestock and machinery yet u can be kicked out with little notice or put the price up.
Not fair on anyone really.

Not good as SNP will have such a strangle hold on olyrood for the foreseeable future. Really need a strong Basc /SGA althou wether it will do any good, didnae for airguns (80odd % aggainst it) or tail docking
 
What is actually rateable on a rural estate? Buildings? But surely not forestry and agricultural land?

You have it right. Business Rates are assessed on non-domestic property only, but they are levied on the Rateable Value (notional rental value of property x poundage). This could be high on estate properties. Only Savills are interested in the value of 'sporting rights' when they're selling a job lot to the wealthy.

As I read it, estates will have to pay BR for the first time in 20 years. All RV's in Scotland were re-assessed in 2010 (unlike England & Wales) so are more up to date & likely higher. Then there's the issue of whether 'small business' rates relief will be allowed for multiple properties, etc., for which an ordinary business is eligible.
 
How many bankers bonuses will the money raised after administration costs will this pay for?
 
Perhaps I am being every so slightly histrionic (moi), but I am just home from Zimbabwe where there was "land reform". Now, I appreciate that the similarities are few, if any, but what is the case is that there is no bloody point in taking the land away from people who have managed it and probably employed people to help them for years and giving it to someone who has no capital and not a hope in hell of making a go of it. Somebody mentioned Gigha, which was purchased, but similarities exist. What's happening on Eigg? I hear Assynt have ended up doing pretty much what the private landowner did.
Round again. Anything for a headline.
 
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