Latest news with #MercedesVillalba
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Land reform Bill: Labour MSP in bid to introduce 500ha cap
The MSP is to lodge amendments that would introduce a presumptive cap on land ownership. Her proposal would prevent any individual or entity from buying, selling or owning more than 500 hectares by default. READ MORE: MSPs backed the general principles of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill in March. Holyrood's Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee is set to begin Stage 2 scrutiny on Tuesday, considering hundreds of proposed amendments. The Bill has two parts. The first would place a duty on the owners of the largest landholdings to engage with the local community about the use of the land. It also proposes mechanisms to make it easier for community groups to purchase land when it is put up for sale. The second part addresses the agricultural and environmental use of leased farmland. Ms Villalba's amendment would mean any transaction exceeding the 500 hectare threshold would trigger a forward-looking public interest test, assessing whether the sale benefits local communities and Scotland more broadly. Where estates fail the test, ministers could require them to be divided and sold in smaller parcels—a measure aimed at curbing further concentration. She also plans to amend the Bill's definition of 'large-scale' landholding to account for total land owned, rather than just contiguous holdings. This is intended to prevent landowners from avoiding regulation by holding multiple, smaller, separate parcels. A further amendment would stop ministers from raising the acreage thresholds without full scrutiny by the Scottish Parliament, amid concerns future governments could dilute the reforms. Ms Villalba said more ambitious action is needed to dismantle Scotland's entrenched 'land monopoly'. Mercedes Villalba outside the Trump course in Balmedie (Image: Contributed) Despite over two decades of land reform legislation, the country is often cited as having the most unequal land ownership in the western world. Research published last year by former Green MSP and land reform advocate Andy Wightman found that half of Scotland's privately owned rural land—some 3.2 million hectares—is held by just 433 owners, including estates, corporations and trusts. Community bodies, by contrast, own only around 2.8% of rural land. Campaigners argue that this extreme concentration has remained largely unchanged since the early 20th century, resulting in 'localised monopoly' power in some areas. However, in response to the Scottish Government's consultation, Scottish Land and Estates argued there is no substantial evidence that the scale of landholdings negatively impacts the country. They said scale and concentration should be treated as separate issues. 'There appears to be no evidence that there is a detrimental impact on Scotland due to the scale of land holdings,' they said. ' The Scottish Land Commission's own evidence points to the issue being potentially one of concentrated land ownership in specific areas, rather than scale itself. Therefore any measure of scale will always be an inappropriate instrument in dealing with any adverse impacts on communities or the prosperity of Scotland in a wider context.' READ MORE Ms Villalba said:'To deal with the serious problem of concentrated land ownership, we need a radical shift that prioritises community benefit and empowers local people to shape the future of their land, rather than merely tinkering round the edges. 'Today, Scotland's land is concentrated in the hands of the new nobility—asset managers, foreign billionaires, and the inheritors of huge estates. Just 0.025% of the population own 67% of our countryside. 'This Bill presents a chance to change that, break the ultra-wealthy's grasp on Scotland's resources and build a fairer, more prosperous Scotland for all of us. But currently it simply does not meet the scale of the challenge. 'That is why the proposals must include a presumed limit on ownership over 500 hectares, unless it is in the public interest. 'Without a meaningful public interest test, we risk allowing land to be sold or managed in ways that benefit private interests at the expense of the public good. We need a mechanism that ensures that decisions about land are made with the long-term wellbeing of our communities at heart.'
The National
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Fears 'rigged' Scottish Labour voting system boxes out left-wing MSPs
Anonyvoter, a controversial computer voting programme involved in a Met police fraud probe, is used by the party alongside traditional in-person and postal voting. But The Sunday Mail reports there are concerns it is being rigged following a selection for the Dundee West constituency. Earlier this month, Scottish Labour MSP Mercedes Villalba – who is considered more left-wing – lost out to Michael Marra, who is often seen as party leader Anas Sarwar's right-hand man and potential successor. READ MORE: High street in Scottish Highland town closed due to alleyway fire Villalba won the vote in the room but lost out after online votes through Anonyvoter were taken into account. It comes amid concerns over the past few years that Labour leadership have actively been purging the party of its left-wing members and politicians. The Sunday Mail reports that several members have contacted the party with concerns. One said: 'I emailed our local branch secretary last month as I was concerned about the fact we were having to use Anonyvoter but I didn't get any reply. 'I know someone else who also contacted the party's leadership team directly and was told that there had been no problem with Anonyvoter in Scotland and it was being used here. End of discussion. 'People are very sceptical of the system and don't understand why we are still using it when there were such problems before.' Mercedes Villalba Another member added: 'I'm worried that what we saw for the Westminster selections is now going to happen for the Holyrood ones. It seems to be already happening - just look at the situation in Dundee.' A former Labour staffer, meanwhile, told the newspaper: 'I can say that in standard parliamentary selections, ballot counting is carried out by staff but with clear oversight from CLP officials to ensure transparency and trust in the process. 'With Anonyvoter, that critical layer of local oversight is simply missing. We've already seen serious concerns raised about its accuracy and flaws, most notably in Croydon where the situation escalated to the point of police involvement.' Anonyvoter has previously insisted that its software was unrelated to the incident in Croydon and said Labour's database was to blame A Scottish Labour spokesman said: 'We have full confidence in the integrity of both selection processes and the use of Anonyvoter. 'Labour candidates are selected by the votes of local members who select the person they believe should represent them. 'All selections are carried out in line with rules and procedures agreed and overseen by Scottish Labour's Executive Committee.'
