SLE Responds to Green Party Leadership Candidate Proposals for 'Shooting Estates'

General News

SLE's Director of Policy, Stephen Young, has released a statement in response to recent proposals from Scottish Green Party leadership candidate Ross Greer MSP regarding rates relief and farm subsidies for 'shooting estates'. 

 SLE Director of Policy Stephen Young said:

“Politicians and decision makers should make every effort to ensure that the proposals they bring forward regarding rural policy are grounded in evidence. Ross Greer’s comments on Scotland’s rural estates fall worryingly short of the mark in this respect, betraying either a fundamental lack of understanding or willful misrepresentation of Scotland’s rural economy, and the subsidy and taxation mechanisms that support it.

 “Mr Greer is either unaware or chooses to ignore the fact that recipients of government support need to demonstrate environmental benefits alongside agricultural activity in order to receive rural support payments.  The assertion that shooting estates, whatever those are, receive funding for doing nothing is simply untrue. The concept of multiple land uses delivering multiple benefits is crucial to ensure wide ranging benefits for people, jobs and nature. It is not a binary choice and land use is also rarely binary. Similarly tax reliefs are there for clear reasons and the small business bonus scheme, is for exactly the purpose its title infers, it supports small businesses. Removing this support as he proposes would disincentivise the positive contributions rural estates make towards tackling climate change, restoring nature and growing the rural economy. 

 “More than half of Scotland’s woodland creation, peatland restoration and renewable energy production takes place on Scotland’s rural estates, with thousands of jobs and the fabric of many rural communities underpinned by them. These ideologically driven proposals to obstruct government support for the environment, agricultural and economic benefits delivered by land-based businesses would severely impact our efforts to reach Net Zero, tackle biodiversity loss and stem the tide of rural depopulation. 

“As a voice for Scotland’s rural businesses and the communities they support, SLE works hard to ensure Scotland’s politicians remain up to speed on all things rural. As with politicians from all parties, we would welcome the opportunity to host Mr Greer on a visit to one of Scotland’s rural estates to demonstrate the multiple benefits these businesses provide for people, jobs and nature, and help to expand his understanding of our rural economy.”