Sally Magnusson – BBC Reporting Scotland
Reporting Scotland took up the Broragate story yesterday following the questions asked by Tavish Scott MSP at First Minister’s Question Time on Thursday.
Sally Magnusson introduced the news item:-
Pressure is mounting on the head of the Crofting Commission to resign after the First Minister warned that the Government would intervene if it didn’t put its own house in order.
This follows a turbulent few months during which the Commission was forced to apologise to crofters in the Western Isles and then passed a vote of no confidence in its own convener.
Craig Anderson – BBC Reporting Scotland
Craig Anderson explains:-
Its feared by many as an idylic lifestyle, part time farming on small parcels of land with tiny rents.
There are almost 20,000 crofts in Scotland protected and regulated by government agency the Crofting Commission.
But the body is imploding. It suspended two local grazings committees in Lewis earlier this year on the grounds of financial mismanagment but was forced into a u-turn when that was ruled heavy handed if not illegal.
Brian Inkster commented:-
It all begins with the common grazings committees having been put out office. There were two put out of office in Lewis and one in Lochaber. It is really how the Crofting Commission has gone about that and the uproar that has caused.
Convener of the Crofting Commission, Colin Kennedy, storms out of the board meeting in Brora
Craig Anderson continued:-
The Scottish Government then called on the commission and its convener Colin Kennedy to apologise to the crofters involved.
Last week he stormed out of commissioners meeting. They issued an apology and then passed a vote of no confidence in Mr Kennedy.
So who’s running the show the First Minister was asked at Holyrood yesterday.
Nicola Sturgeon MSP answered:-
I note that crofting commissioners have unanimously called on the convener to resign.
The Scottish Government have requested further information from the convener in relation to last week’s events.
While the Government would not ordinarily intervene in the internal operations of an independent statutory body the legislation does give Scottish Ministers power to act if required.
Colin Kennedy and other crofting commissioners at Brora before he ended the meeting and walked out
Craig Anderson pointed out:-
I contacted Mr Kennedy at his home on the Island of Coll by phone earlier today and he told me he had no plans to resign but would make no further comment.
But the implication of the intervention by Nicola Sturgeon is clear: either he jumps or he will be pushed.
Tavish Scott MSP said:-
There is no doubt that there has been a fall out amongst commissioners and that has been caused by the behaviour of the convener of the Crofting Commission.
What this organisation needs now is a new convener, a reconstituted board and the ability to get back what it is meant to do and that is work for crofters right across Scotland.
Craig Anderson asked:-
But does any of this really matter to the people who actually live and work in our crofting communities?
Brian Inkster – Crofting Lawyer
Brian Inkster responded:-
People being removed from office unfairly and unjustifiably has a huge affect on small communities. Allegations made about people that have not been proven to be correct. It has split/divided communities, caused lots of problems.
Craig Anderson rounded the news item off:-
There is a saying that a croft is a piece of land surrounded by legislation. It’s an old joke, but never was a truer word spoken in jest.
Image Credits: Reporting Scotland © BBC
