…the blog and website of Andy Wightman
The Scotland Bill is now being considered by the House of Lords. As regular readers will be aware, I have been taking a close interest in the particular issue of the proposed changes in the administration of the Crown Estate
Continue readingThe Liberal Democrats have just published an interesting policy discussion paper on land taxes available here. I am delighted to see this thinking emerging from one of the UK coalition partners in Government and hope that the Scottish party plays
Continue readingFor many years, I have read the West Highland Free Press, a newspaper which campaigns fearlessly for the interests of the West Highlands and its people. The paper’s priorities are perhaps best encapsulated in the Gaelic slogan on its masthead:
Continue readingThursday 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 readingYesterday 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 readingThe 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 readingWith 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 readingJust 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 readingMy report on Donald Trump’s golf course is now published.
Continue readingOK, In 2007, I prepared a paper on proposals for land reform in the 3rd session of the Scottish Parliament. The SNP Government did nothing. Last month I wrote another paper for Scottish Community Alliance on the way ahead for
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