Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser has demanded the SNP-Green government give “urgent clarity” to farmers in Mid Scotland and Fife on what future support will look like.
His call came ahead of a Stage One debate in the Scottish Parliament on the Agricultural and Rural Communities Bill. While the Parliament’s cross-party committee backed the general principles of the Bill, they have also called on Ministers to provide more detail on their plans for the sector.
Mr Fraser says SNP-Green Ministers have kept farmers, crofters and all those living in rural Scotland “in the dark” for far too long and says it would be “wholly unacceptable” if a rural support plan was not published before 2025. He also believes Ministers have a “brass neck” to have tagged the words rural communities onto the title of the Bill given they have totally abandoned them during their time in office.
The Scottish Conservatives have set out several “red lines” which Mr Fraser says they will press Ministers at every turn to make sure they are included.
The red lines include ensuring food security is front and centre of the Bill, reversing alignment with the European Union, committing to multi-annual funding plans, backing Scottish Conservative plans to ensure that where it’s possible, that local authorities source produce from within 60 miles of their local area, and ensuring the sector is not used as a “scapegoat” as the country aims to hit ambitious net zero targets.
Commenting, Mr Fraser said: “This long-awaited Bill still fails to provide any sort of proper detail for our farmers, crofters and the wider agricultural sector on what future support will look like.
“Ahead of the Bill being debated in the Scottish Parliament for the first time, SNP-Green Ministers need to give that urgent clarity to the sector. They have been kept in the dark for far too long and it would be wholly unacceptable if their rural support plan was not published before next year, which is their current plan.
“Given their neglect of rural communities during their 17 years in office, they have some brass neck tagging the word rural onto this Bill. They have abandoned them at every turn with their central-belt obsessed agenda.”
Mr Fraser continued: “We have set out several red lines ahead of this debate and I will be holding SNP-Green ministers to account to ensure this Bill is one that delivers for farmers, crofters and Mid Scotland and Fife as a whole.
“The Scottish Conservatives are the only party standing up for rural Scotland and alongside my colleagues I will be scrutinising this legislation at every turn to ensure the sector does not simply survive but thrives for generations to come in Mid Scotland and Fife.”
