The Week Ahead in Scottish Politics

As the General Election campaign enters its second week, and the 4th of July looms, it is important to ensure that the rural dimension to the pledges being made by the major parties battling for power is not ignored. That is why SLE have been working hard to put together a paper outlining rural Scotland's priorities for the next UK Government, focusing on the key reserved issues that will allow whoever wins the next election to help rural Scotland thrive. 

Alongside our paper, we're looking forward to hosting a rural hustings event, in which Parliamentary Candidates will have the opportunity to set out their stall on rural issues, and debate the importance of rural Scotland on a range of issues from the economy and renewable energy, to nature restoration and tourism.

In a break from the electoral news cycle, last week was a busy one for rural affairs, with the Visitor Levy Bill passing its third and final stage in Holyrood, and Jamie Halcro Johnston MSP leading a successful Members' Business Debate on the proposed Ban on Wood Burning Stoves in new-build properties.

Whilst SLE was disappointed not to see a shift in approach on the Visitor Levy Bill regarding the difficulties of using a percentage levy over a fixed sum, we were pleased that some positive amendments pass, including community groups and stakeholders gaining a majority voice in deciding how the funds raised should be used by a local authority, and the creation of a specific exemption for businesses that do not reach the minimum threshold for paying VAT. Many thanks to the Minister and Pam Gosal MSP for their work on these amendments, and to Miles Briggs MSP for his kind words about our briefing for the debate.

Mr Halcro Johnston's debate on wood-burners saw a reversal in the Scottish Government's initial position taken by the Minister for Climate Action, which is extremely welcome. Anna Gardiner, our housing and energy policy adviser, discusses this in more detail in her article in this edition of eNews, and I would echo her sentiment that the concerted effort of politicians like Jamie Halcro Johnston, Rachael Hamilton and others who spoke in the debate has been a great example of effective opposition in a post Bute House Agreement world. Their work will help keep rural communities warm and protected for years to come.

After a week that saw a reasonably robust focus on rural issues in Holyrood, this week looks set to deliver less excitement for the rural sector. The Housing Committee, in beginning its scrutiny of the new Housing Bill, will hear from rural landlords on Tuesday morning, providing an important opportunity to demonstrate the contribution rural estates are already making to tackling the Housing Crisis.

The NZET committee will also begin looking at the Land Reform Bill in Tuesday morning's session, whilst the Rural Affairs Committee will focus on its inquiry into Salmon Farming.