An economic future for Uist

There is no shortage of ideas in this community about the best way to diversify the local economy. Recently I took part in the initial meeting held at Cothrom, South Uist, by the New Economics Foundation. I have to admit I had never heard of them, and went along armed with a degree of healthy scepticism.

However, I was impressed. They are an international think tank who have done similar work in South Africa among other countries. They intend to stay in the community here until they have engaged as many people as possible in the task of working out what they really want for the economy and environment of Uist, and then seeking to make that happen.

A project like this will only work if everyone gets involved, but the theme that was identified above everything else was this – how do we stop money leaking out of Uist? How do we get the public sector to spend their money on local contractors, and get people to shop local?

Big questions for politicians and the community alike, and hopefully a debate that is going to continue.

I recently raised the issue of total allowable catches for Western Isles fishermen during a debate in the Scottish Parliament.

Between now and December, the Scottish Government faces the daunting task of negotiating with Europe over the proposed cuts in Total Allowable Catches – not least the 15% cut for prawns recommended by the European Commission scientists.

The fishing industry in the Western Isles deserves to be protected from the most insane excesses of the European Common Fisheries Policy and I am heartened to hear that the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment is going about the negotiations in exactly that spirit.

Instead of taking these drastic measures of quota cuts, we could, as the Scottish Government have suggested, catch less fish and land more of what is caught, helping to ensure the long-term future of our valuable fish stocks and dramatically cut the amount of fish discarded, allowing for the fish populations to regenerate and become more sustainable.

I believe all of us who claim to have the interest of fishing communities at heart – must now back the efforts of Scotland’s government to improve the deal on the table for our fishermen.

I have met a number of times recently with Environment Minister, Roseanna Cunningham about the issue of "Standard Securities" in the draft Crofting Reform Bill. I have indicated to the Minister that I would like the Government to rethink its initial plans on these measures.

The Scottish Government has shown a very welcome willingness to listen to crofters. Already Roseanna Cunningham has indicated that the controversial residency requirements in the draft bill will not be in the legislation itself when it comes to Parliament.

I am now calling on the Government to go further and to rethink the whole issue of standard securities. Standard securities were a mechanism set out in the draft bill designed to allow crofters to take out commercial loans using their tenancies as securities.

It is clear to me that there is very little support for such a measure, and concerns have been expressed to me about the potential unintended consequences of standard securities on crofting communities.

I have therefore made clear my views about this part of the bill. I believe that we are finally moving towards a piece of legislation which is more acceptable to the crofting communities. Reconsidering the whole issue of standard securities would go a long way towards achieving that aim.