All we hear is…
Following his statements to Sunday Politics Scotland and The Oban Times, Colin Kennedy, Convener of the Crofting Commission, was today also speaking to BBC Highlands & Islands.
He said:-
It would appear to be clear that there is a code of conduct that we all must follow and to act against best legal advice and practice would seem to me to be somewhat contrary to the code of conduct. I would say it probably clashes with the Government.
But is that not him arguing against himself. Surely he has been acting against best legal advice and practice. Thus this has indeed been contrary to the code of conduct. Yes, that does indeed clash with the Government!
He went on to say:-
I believe everybody should be treated fairly and equitably within the legislation and that is what I stand for: fair and equal treatment to every crofter.
Do the crofters of Mangersta and Upper Coll consider the Crofting Commission’s treatment of them, under Mr Kennedy’s leadership, to have been fair and equal? I doubt it.
Mr Kennedy continued:-
But when you have civil servants with views and having cases pulled from decision making and changing policies in order to support decision making it gives me great concern.
I am unsure of the context of this or to what Mr Kennedy is actually referring. Are civil servants not allowed views? What cases have been pulled from decision making and by whom? How can civil servants change policies? Presumably only MSPs and commissioners can do that?
He then concluded with:-
And the reason I will not resign is that I will not rest until I get to the bottom of what is going on.
We all would like to know what is going on. But we all thought only Mr Kennedy knew the answer to that one!
N.B. A recording of Mr Kennedy speaking to the BBC is available (possibly for a limited time?) at Soundcloud (full report starts at approximately 1.34 minutes in):-
The real issue here is not CK. He is the one making the noise but the sun is setting fast on his reign. The real issue is that whilst the voluntary sector have for decades been doing their honest best with limited resources, the salaried Commission under the leadership of CK have recently been deliberately breaking crofting law and ignoring their own adopted policies. They have set aside legal advice, defamed individuals, rubbished democracy, undermined confidence, impoverished townships, seized bank accounts, imposed martial law, and failed in their duties of care and support. I can not think of one positive contribution made by the Commission since they first contacted our township in 2015. With CK at the helm they are a disaster that has happened.
Welcome as the news will be that he has been shown the door, it shall only be the second step on a long journey to trust and cooperation.
He is clearly not fit for office. Knowing the recent history as well as he does and coming to the conclusions he is now stating, demonstrates an ostrich mentality and a failure to acknowledge obvious error.
He is not going to stop until he gets to the bottom of all this, he claims. I suggest he is at the bottom of the barrel and scraping.
So he says he won’t rest until he finds out what’s going on. Good luck!
But I worry, I really do, I worry for the convenor’s health and that he may become an isolated, obsessive recluse, not the community spirited, upstanding pillar of the inner Hebrides that he is renowned for. No longer will he cut the ribbons at opening ceremonies, make witty, warmly regarded speeches as he hands out prizes at agricultural and village shows, work tirelessly to stand up for the rights of his fellow man, or take an active and positive role in the development of his local community. Instead I fear he will become so intent on getting to the bottom of his own mental deficiencies that he will send himself to an early grave.
I agree with the previous comment to an extent, however, its in the archives one must look to find from which angle he is coming from and in his purse, which in the very least is down several thousand annually, his god appears to be money, he might be scraping the barrel etc, but that makes little difference to him,
perhaps he’s confused somewhat whereby, his tenant was promised a very public and very humiliating eviction..it seems to me that he is now doing much the same to the Scottish Government and to his fellow Commissioners..its going to be a long ride.
In the meantime, those of us with our own crofting challenges have to press on with trying to find a solution. After two years of ‘trying’ (very!) to have the deed in favour of my elder daughter as 50% pro indivso owner of our Tiree croft recorded in the Land Register, I have been informed by the Keeper that the fourth attempt has failed.
What on earth is going on? The Registers blame the solicitors, and the solicitors blame the Registers. The result is that what was very easy in 1985, i.e. the recording of a croft title, has become a bureaucratic nightmare.
CK has nothing to do with this disgraceful mess. The danger is that the focus on CK will divert attention from the national bureaucratic swamp in which crofters are left to wallow. He is but a part, as all the Commissioners are but a part, of a much wider systemic failure.
That, my friends, is what has to be addressed. How did this swamp, with crofters and Commission and Registers and solicitors all in it together, come about, and how can it be cleaned up?
Donald E Meek..either you have not read what is truth ..or someone is pulling your strings..CK may well be at the bottom of all your bother….he tried the very same with us..in our case he was unsuccessful!
Thank you, Linda. You misunderstand me, I fear, but I hope not wilfully!
My point is that the WHOLE of crofting bureaucracy must be given a far-reaching overhaul, and that includes processes for recording revised and new croft titles in the Land Register. My difficulties began in November 2014, and have nothing to do with CK. They have everything to do with my solicitors and the Registers of Scotland.
For the sake of clarity, let me also say that I take the view that all existing Commissioners should be replaced with immediate effect, the system that elected them should be overhauled, the roles of Commissioners should be reconsidered and rewritten as the current JDs are unrealistic, the entire body of crofting law should be scrutinised afresh and revised sensibly as necessary, and the Scottish Government should examine its own role in the creation of the current range of problems. Urgent action at its end is long overdue.
How did we get into the current swamp? How do we get out? What steps must be taken to ensure that it never happens again?
If part of the answer is the removal of CK, that is fine, and I will shed few tears. I will shed even fewer if all the Commissioners depart! However, a much more comprehensive solution is required to remove a range of problems which are making life very difficult for those of us committed to the survival of crofting.
Donald Meek…Fair enough..I may very well have misunderstood you..and I do agree that there must be drastic action to get things sorted..