Seann fhaidhlichean a' sealltainn mar a chaidh bacadh a chur air croitearachd

Chan e leughadh ro tharraingeach a th’ ann a bhith a' dol tro sheann fhaidhlichean an Riaghaltais bho bhliadhnaichean air ais. Tha an seòrsa cainnt oifigeil a bhios aig muinntir na seirbheise catharra dòrainneach is duilich a leantainn, ach an dèidh sin, 's fhiach steigeil leis bhon a tha na h-uimhir ann a tha glè inntinneach.

Bha oifigearan na seirbheis catharra gu mòr an aghaidh na molaidhean son siostam riaghlaidh na croitearachd atharrachadh

[English-language version below]

Aig àm na Bliadhna Ùire, tha na seann fhaidhlichean a tha seo gan cur a-mach gu poblach agus a thaobh faidhlichean Riaghaltas na h-Alba, tha iad sin a’ dol air ais gu 2008. Ann an liosta fhada, tha faidhle air a bheil Comataidh Sgrùdaidh na Croitearachd.

Dha duine nach eil eòlach air croitearachd, chan eil an t-ainm Mark Shucksmith a’ dol a chiallachadh mòran, ach bha an obair a rinn e, agus a’ chomataidh a bha a’ toirt dha taic, gu mòr anns na naidheachdan aig an àm.

Às dèidh ùine mhòr de sgrùdadh, thàinig iad an àirde le molaidhean a bha gu math radaigeach: dh’iarr iad Coimisean nan Croitearan ath-nuadhachadh agus bùird ionadail a stèidheachadh; dh’iarr iad riaghailtean nas cruaidhe a thaobh a bhith a' fuireach air croit agus dh’iarr iad iasadan a chur ma choinneamh Sgeama Grantaichean nan Taighean-Croite.

B’ e Mìcheal Ruiseal am ministear a bha ann aig an àm agus thuirt e: “Chaidh iarraidh air a’ chomataidh beachdan farsaing fhaighinn agus a thighinn air ais chun an Riaghaltais le beachdan radaigeach mu na bu chòir a bhith air adhart dha croitearachd. ‘S e sin dìreach an rud a rinn iad agus bu mhath leam am moladh.”

‘S dè thachair an uairsin? Cha do thachair func agus bha e na thàmailt aig an àm, bhon bha tòrr taic aig na molaidhean. Ach, tha fios againn a-nis carson.

Tha na faidhlichean a’ sealltainn cho mòr ‘s a bha oifigearan na seirbheis catharra na aghaidh. Thuirt iad nam biodh bùird nas lugha ann aig ìre ionadail gum biodh e na b' dualtaiche eas-aontaidhean nochdadh; bu chòir a’ mhargaidh fhàgail ach am faigh croitearan air brath a ghabhail air a bhith a' reic chroitean agus bu chòir dha a bhith an àirde ri bancaichean iasadan a thoirt airson taighean a thogail. Agus gu follaiseach, sin ris na lean an luchd-poileataigs.

Dha daoine a tha a’ creids' ann am margaidhean is calpachas, ‘s dòcha gun robh na thuirt iad a’ dèanamh ciall, ach tha eachdraidh ag innse a' chaochlaidh. Anns an eadar-ama, tha prìsean chroitearan air a dhol an àirde gun chiall (£200,000 airson croit ann an cuid a sgìrean) agus tha an suidheachadh-eaconamaigeach a’ ciallachadh gu bheil e duilich dha duine sam bith iasad fhaighinn bho bhanca. ‘S tha a h-uile càil a tha sin ag obrachadh an aghaidh chroitearan agus choimhearsnachdan-croitearachd.

Agus tha seo cudromach an-dràsta fhèin. Tha sinn a’ coimhead ri Bile Àfiteachais ùr, Bile Ath-leasachaidh an Fhearainn agus chaidh gealltanas gun tig coimhead a-rithist ri croitearachd cuideachd.

Ach, dè am math a tha sin mura h-eilear, coltach ri 2008 agus iomadach àm eile, a’ dol a dh’fhaighinn èisteachd cheart, bhon t-seirbheis chatharra no bhon luchd-poileataigs.

English-language version:

Newly released files from the Cabinet Office may not be everyone’s idea of an enthralling read – the day-to-day interactions between the civil service and politicians tend to be on the dull side of tedium – yet can nevertheless be insightful, even in the context of what’s happening in the here and now.

A significant stretch of time has to have expired before these files are made public – government needs to be able to operate with a degree of privacy – but it never ceases to amaze that even years later their contents remain highly relevant. Plus ca change, as they say. The Scottish Government files released at New Year relate to 2008 and, buried in a long list, is the “Committee of Inquiry Into Crofting”, a typically banal sounding title which in itself reveals little. But at the time it was one of the hottest political tickets around.

For anyone outside crofting circles, the name of Professor Mark Shucksmith and the committee which investigated regulatory reform will mean little, particularly 16 years later, but back then their work provoked fierce debate. For onlookers, it may seem that crofting is always in a state of flux and reform, but the work of Prof Shucksmith – a recognised expert on social policy and land economics – and his committee was the most radical intervention in a generation.

They called for the overhaul of the Crofting Commission with the formation of local boards to speed up the decision-making process and to better reflect local needs; they called for stricter rules on residency; and the re-introduction of a loan element to the Croft House Grant Scheme. The minister responsible at the time was Michael Russell who said: “The committee was asked to consult widely and to report back to government with radical ideas on shaping the future of crofting. This is precisely what they have done and I congratulate them for it.”

And what happened? Nada. Zilch. Zero – unless you count changing the name of the Crofters’ Commission to the Crofting Commission. It was bitterly disappointing at the time, given the support that the Shucksmith proposals had, just how little was done. And now we know why.

As can be seen in the 2008 files, civil servants were steadfastly opposed and still to this day it’s not exactly clear why. Local control over crofting decisions would mean more neighbour disputes, they said; interference in the market would mean crofters not being able to cash in on their assets; and it was up to the banks to provide mortgages to build houses. And clearly this was what the politicians in charge decided to follow.

For neo-liberal free marketeers, their arguments may have had legitimacy, but unfortunately history has not been kind to the obstructionists: prices for crofts have soared in rural areas (now as much as £200,000 for a bare piece of land in some places without even a building), while economic conditions have made it difficult to secure a mortgage for any young working person. And all of which clearly acts against the future of crofting and crofting communities, something which Shucksmith and his committee all too readily understood.

And this matters right now. We are now on the cusp of a new Agriculture Bill, a Land Reform Bill and also, in this parliament, there’s been a pledge of new crofting reform legislation being brought forward. Given previous experience of civil service interference and obstruction, as highlighted in the Cabinet files, along with the quiet acquiescence of politicians, what chance is there of being listened to, let alone seeing some meaningful radical reform?