Time for Scottish communities to take more control back

Eleven days before the referendum, we all know what the number one debate is in Scotland. But what’s number two?

Scots are appalled at the brutal fate that appears to await Perth man, father of two and aid worker David Haines.

Suddenly the remote conflicts of the Middle East seem horribly real and very close.

But what can the average person do? The British Government won’t pay ransoms which could help Islamic State buy more weapons. Nor is it clear if private cash would help.

If it could, surely someone would have stumped up to free the two American captives.

Might an SAS raid save David Haines? It’s possible, but first intelligence forces must locate the English-accented killer “Jihad John” and there’s nothing the ordinary Scot can do to help there, either.

It’s the same in Eastern Ukraine. President Putin has laughed in the face of British and American nuclear deterrents, invaded his neighbour and destabilised every European state bordering his own from Finland to Azerbaijan.

Will Putin stop once he has hauled the Russian-speaking East of Ukraine back into Mother Russia or will he march on Kiev?

One thing’s certain. If the threat of Trident weapons and the imposition of sanctions haven’t dented Putin’s ambitions, there’s nothing the average Scot can do.

Feelings of powerlessness surround the world’s other trouble-spots from Syria and Gaza to the Ebola epidemic of West Africa.

We can give money to alleviate suffering and demand British arms exports cease, but we can’t halt international crises.

Perhaps the intractability of these world issues has allowed Scots to concentrate on the home arena at least here we should be able to act.

But beyond the referendum can we? I’ve spoken at 130 events and the second most-talked-about issue in Scotland is unquestionably the lack of genuinely local democratic control over vital resources like land and housing.

Last week, I spoke at an Orkney Science Festival event on housing islanders need thousands of new homes by 2030 just to stand still. You’d think that sounds eminently do-able.

Instead young, capable local developers like Stephen Kemp are tearing their hair out. Almost every important part of the housing process is controlled by central belt quangos.

Heating is even more centralised. Orkney has the second highest levels of fuel poverty in Scotland with three in four pensioners affected.

That’s crazy when Orkney produces loads of renewable energy and could produce far more if Westminster coughed up the price of an intercon-nector.

Yet if Orkney builders plan to heat homes with the island’s green electricity there’s a 20% penalty. Why? Because elsewhere in Scotland, leccy ain’t so green.

So new Orkney homes must have expensive heat pumps or wood pellets shipped in “fae sooth” since there are no trees.

With island construction costs already 20% higher and general wages 20% lower than the mainland, new homes are basically unaffordable.

Stephen suggested a postcode system to let builders in green power zones like Orkney use mains electricity without penalty. The Scottish Govern-ment hasn’t responded.

I’ve heard similar complaints about the lack of local control across Scotland.

Clearly, the referendum comes first. But afterwards Scottish Ministers must act. After all, if control’s good for Scotland, it’s even better for our vibrant but thwarted communities.