Dave Thompson MSP

Those of us who live on Scotland’s coastline know all too well that beauty can be deceptive.  It is a beautiful part of the world, shared the world over in calendars, post cards and photography competitions. But it is a harsh landscape too and our ancestors battled with the strength of the sea and the power of the wind and the hardness of the soil with very little to show for their victories. It drove many of them from the west coast.

For those who stayed, or have since returned, there are new difficulties in the twenty first century. The cost of fuel is higher, shopping for essentials requires a time-consuming car journey and a cold climate means that the heating stays on for longer. The greatest irony of all is that while the wind turbines and the tidal wave generators go up, so also does the cost of living. Our coastline is rich in renewable energy sources and communities could be harnessing that potential and reaping revenues.

But, because Scotland’s seabed is part of the Crown Estate, all profits are slipped into the Crown Estate pocket and not into community coffers. For centuries, communities on the west coast have not benefited from investment and development because the land and the sea are owned by the Crown Estate. From the sheep farms of the nineteenth century to the hydro farms of the twentieth, local communities have missed out on reaping the benefits.

Last week in the Scottish Parliament I argued that responsibility for the Crown Estate should be devolved to the Scottish Government and then to local communities. It is time that local communities benefited from the developments that affect them. Last month in Westminster, the Scottish Affairs Committee concluded that responsibility for the administration and revenues of Crown property should be decentralised, first to Holyrood and then to local community. I wholeheartedly concur and look forward to the day when this becomes law.

On the subject of devolution, Holyrood is finally to be given the powers to set the drink driving limit once Westminster approves the Scotland Bill in a few weeks’ time. This comes after years of pressing the UK Government to reduce the limit of drink-driving from 80mg to 50mg per 100ml of blood. Twenty four European countries have already reduced the limit to 50mg, with the UK one of three countries which has not. Finally we have the chance to do something about road fatalities that are caused by drink driving.

Every month, I receive emails, letters and phone calls highlighting various issues and concerns. I know that when he visits the area, the Minister for Housing and Transport, Keith Brown, will be keen to hear your concerns. It is a privilege for me to be able to speak on many of the topics that you raise.  In a few weeks’ time I will be sharing a platform with Bruce Kent, a veteran campaigner for nuclear disarmament, to speak on the subject of trident in an independent Scotland. The meeting will take place on 13 May 2012 at the Alexandra Hotel in Fort William, beginning at 7pm and everybody is welcome.  Last month, I opened an international agricultural conference, hosted by the Scottish Crofting Federation, in Strathpeffer. The title was ‘Celebrating Crofter’s Seeds and Breeds’ and I was able to sketch the rich history of crofting we have in Scotland, as well outlining the hopeful future there is for crofting.

One of the concerns that confronts us all is the economic climate and last month’s Westminster budget only seems to have exacerbated the issue. The Budget hits people with modest pensions and savings for their retirement. Meanwhile, Mr Cameron and his rich cronies will enjoy a cut to the 50p tax rate. The irony is that there are more pensioners in Scotland who are affected by the ‘pensioners poll tax’ than voters who supported the Conservative party in the last election. It is one rule for the poor and another for the rich. It is also one rule for Scotland and another for London as, last week, Boris Johnson, who is running the race for re-election as Mayor of London, called for devo-max financial powers for London. The same arguments that Boris makes for London can be used more convincingly for Scotland, based on the latest Government Expenditure & Revenue Figures so I wonder when he will back the same powers for Scotland.