The title of this post is the title of the Editorial in the West Highland Free Press (WHFP) published on 16 December 2016.
We reproduce that Editorial here as an important addition to the 101 blog posts already published on the fiasco arising from ‘The Common Clearances‘:-
For the last three months the Crofting Commission has not been dysfunctional. it has been non-existent.
As the Crofting Commission is the regulatory body of almost 20,000 crofts occupied by over 30,000 people – including around half of the combined populations of the Western Isles, Skye and the west Highlands – that is plainly unacceptable.
This dire state of affairs originated in the persecution of grazings committees in Lewis and Lochaber by the commission’s convener, Colin Kennedy.
Following a widespread outcry, Mr Kennedy’s edicts were overthrown and he was ordered by the crofting minister, Fergus Ewing, to retreat and apologise.
In September the rest of the commissioners issued their own apology and passed a vote of no confidence in Colin Kennedy, who had stalked out of the meeting.
In the real world, that would have been that. Mr Kennedy would have vacated the convener’s chair. The Crofting Commission would have dusted itself down and continued to do its duties as best as possible.
In the unreal world of the Crofting Commission chaos ensued.
Colin Kennedy has refused to accept the censure of both the Scottish Government and his colleagues on the Crofting Commission. Even more remarkably, the other commissioners and the crofting minister seem prepared to accept this.
As we go to press on Wednesday the Crofting Commission is meeting in Inverness. Following recent form, we have no idea what will transpire. It could be anything from another walk-out to a song and dance act in the grounds of Great Glen House.
It is possible that the commission will settle for a quiet life and accept the status quo – Colin Kennedy included – until its elections next March.
That would mean three months of a non-existent Crofting Commission followed by three months of a dispirited and barely functional Crofting Commission.
Why has the crofting minister allowed this to occur?
View from the Crofting Law Blog
The WHFP have a greater grasp of the situation and have been more vocal than most news papers in calling for a resolution thereof by the Scottish Government over the past few months.
They are as perplexed as I, and many others are, at the dithering on the part of the Scottish Government over it.
Unfortunately a song and dance act in the grounds of Great Glen House did not take place at the board meeting underway as the WHFP went to press that Wednesday. Perhaps that is being saved until the Scottish Government does take the action that it really needs to take 😉
Another walk-out was nearer the mark as will be revealed in our next blog post.
Image Credit: Coll-ossus cartoon © A concerned crofter