High time for land to be divided up fairly

Scotland has one of the most archaic systems of land ownership anywhere in Europe.

Not only is land ownership concentrated in very few hands but more than 90% of Scotland’s land is not subject to any tax.

There are no rights of inheritance of land and land in Scotland is an international commodity traded on the world market to anyone who wants to buy it.

Owners are under no obligation to reveal their identity, to live on the land or to be subjected to any scrutiny.

The Land Reform Bill is therefore very welcome.

It is part of a wider process of reform that includes changes in local property tax, inheritance law, management of the Crown Estate and the rules governing private rented housing.

How land is owned, used and governed is vitally important to the well-being and prosperity of everyone particularly those who, because of inflated land values, cannot afford the basic human right of a home.

Land is a finite resource and should be owned and used in the public interest for the common good.

For centuries, the ownership and control of Scotland’s natural resources was in the hands of a small elite.

Vested interests in finance, property and land still promote the idea that change that has long been normal across continental Europe is somehow extreme and dangerous in Scotland in the 21st Century.

Fortunately, Scotland is now alive with ambition to build a fairer and more equal society.

Land reform has the opportunity to unlock the potential of Scotland’s people if they are given a meaningful and equitable stake in the ownership, governance and wealth of urban, rural and marine Scotland.

This is a wide and ambitious agenda.

It is urgent and it has only just begun.