Sovereign Grant Bill & Scotland
Thursday 14 July – and in the House of Commons all of the stages of the Sovereign Grant Bill [broken link Oct 2024] are rushed through in one sitting and it now heads off to the Lords. In the debate
Continue readingAuthor: Andy Wightman
Sovereign Grant
Yesterday morning with very little advance notice, the Chancellor, George Osborne, tabled the Sovereign Grant Bill in the UK Parliament (all papers on Treasury website – [broken link Oct 2024]). The bill provides for a new method of financing the
Continue readingDamning European Court of Auditors Report
The European Court of Auditors has just published a damning report on the Single Payment Scheme which was introduced as part of the 2003 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (ECA Press Release here [broken link Oct 2024] & BBC
Continue readingScotland and the Crown Estate VI
The Scottish Government will publish a paper this week setting out their case for devolving the administration and revenues of the property rights and interests that comprise the Crown Estate in Scotland. Yesterday the Scottish Affairs Committee was in Shetland
Continue readingPlease Shut up, Mr Trump
It is a truism that much of the controversy over Donald Trump’s Golf Course has arisen because of the things he has done and the things he has said. Reports from the press conference at Aberdeen Airport yesterday talked of
Continue readingThe North East Business Community is clueless
At 1:42 in this video [broken link – Sep 2024], we are treated to the economic arguments for the Donald Trump golf course at Menie Estate. Bob Collier of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce makes a startling claim. “Why
Continue readingScottish Affairs Committee Crown Estate Inquiry
With less time than I would have liked (but I need to try and earn a living), I submitted written evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee Inquiry into the Crown Estate in Scotland.
Continue readingDonald Trump is a menace
Just last week, I was discussing the question of Donald Trump’s golf course with a senior Scottish politician. He was curious as to whether I thought it was actually going to be completed. I said that I doubted it and
Continue readingScotland needs land reform
I receive regular emails and letters from people on land matters. Quite often, folk will write with tales of how they or their community are having problems with landowners. I thought I should begin to share some of these to
Continue readingMabo v Queensland (No 2)
Eddie Mabo (1936 – 1993) pictured above, left. On 3 June, 1992, the High Court of Australia ruled that the doctrine of terra nullius was a legal fiction and that the native people had good title which pre-dated European conquest.
Continue reading