For the SNP and many others besides the history behind who owns Scottish land is a major grievance. For many much of the land that is in private hands (and that's a lot) was nicked by English types and their supporters long ago and that should be corrected. In addition the land is under utilised and could be made more economically efficient. Nicola Sturgeon publicly tries to avoid the "land grab" correcting history theme and focus on the economy and making the land "for the many not the few". But the history is a heavy burden.
On the other side of the coin "pro countryside" types point out that there is still quite breathtaking countryside because of estate management, there is huge local employment through it and removing a certain tax exemption would destroy shooting estates and cause unemployment. Instead of pursuing a historical grievance the SNP should focus on the rural economy and help with broadband, roads and general infrastructure.
The history of the land grab doesn't make pleasant reading and can easily be used to wind people up. However it is history and any land reform now must avoid destroying the rural economy. If it needs to be done it should be done slowly. If it's perceived as a land grab more money will flow out of Scotland as it did before the referendum. The Scottish Government is already working very hard to keep the financial community in Scotland and shouldn't want to pick another fight. Land reform will be a very tricky issue to navigate.
The SNP appear to be simply brilliant as pushing all the red buttons that get passions going and sustain the SNP. It's a high risk high reward strategy -
From the BBC on 23 June 2015 - The Scottish government has published "radical" proposals aimed at widening the ownership of land across the country.
It has been estimated that half of the privately-owned land in Scotland is controlled by 432 people.
The Land Reform Bill will end tax relief for shooting estates and force the sale of land if owners are blocking economic development.
However, it has been described as a "land grab" by opponents.
Landowners on sporting estates stopped paying business rates in 1994 after being given an exemption by then prime minister John Major's Conservative government.
The Scottish government had previously said the tax exemption was unfair and must end.
"The introduction of the bill is a significant step forward in ensuring our land is used in the public interest and to the benefit of the people of Scotland".
Aileen McLeod, Scotland's Land Reform Minister
It has proposed using the additional money raised by ending the tax exemption to treble the Scottish Land Fund - which is used to help support community buyouts of land - from £3m this year to £10m a year from 2016.
But landowners have claimed re-introducing the rates could make some sporting estates unprofitable and force gamekeepers out of work.
Nicola Sturgeon set out the land reform proposals shortly after becoming Scotland's first minister in November of last year.
She said at the time that "Scotland's land must be an asset that benefits the many, not the few".
Other proposals in the bill include:
measures to clarify information about land, its ownership and its value, with a Scottish Land Reform Commission being set up to make recommendations on future reforms.
encouraging better information and greater transparency on the ownership of land, through the land register
strengthening regulations where land owners are failing to take their deer management responsibilities seriously
improvements to both systems of common good land and right to roam.
The Scottish government has set a target of doubling the amount of land in community ownership from the current 500,000 acres to one million acres by 2020.
It has held a 10-week consultation on its proposals.
Scottish land reform vision and Bill
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