The Scottish Conservatives have confirmed they will vote against the SNP’s “completely unworkable” land reform bill as it returns to Holyrood for a final debate and vote this week.
The party’s shadow rural affairs secretary Tim Eagle says the Nationalists’ plans threaten to have “extremely damaging” effects on many businesses and on the way of life in rural communities.
The bill has faced fierce opposition from all sides. A joint letter at the weekend from solicitor Don MacLeod and former Green MSP Andy Wightman urged SNP rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon to pause the debate, arguing the legislation might not be compatible with the Scottish Parliament’s legal powers.
Scottish Land and Estates have said the land management plans threaten to be derailed by the SNP’s “punitive” approach, which will see £40,000 fines handed down to those who breach measures relating to land management.
The NFUS have also said the bill would punish those who manage land to exceptionally high standards, as well as doing lasting damage to the businesses and communities it claims to support.
Tim Eagle says measures such as lotting – where SNP ministers will make a final decision on the transfer of large landholdings – risk “class warfare” occurring in some communities, while proposals on the future of agricultural tenancies will deter new entrants from coming into the industry.
He says that there is still time for ministers to recognise the flaws in the bill and to accept that further changes must be made before MSPs have a final vote on the legislation.
Scottish Conservative shadow rural affairs secretary Tim Eagle MSP said: “The SNP’s land reform bill is completely unworkable in its current guise – and so we cannot support it this week.
“Ministers had the chance to listen to rural Scotland throughout the passage of this bill, yet they didn’t – and we have ended up with another utterly shambolic piece of nationalist legislation.
“Far from supporting rural Scotland, their bill will impose measures that are extremely damaging to rural businesses and communities.
“The scale of opposition from across the political spectrum should tell SNP ministers that they have got this wrong, with some critics warning it might even breach Holyrood’s legal powers.
“There are measures in this bill, including the interference of Scottish ministers in decisions surrounding the transfer of large landholdings, that risk class warfare in certain parts of Scotland.
“It is not too late for Mairi Gougeon to think again and recognise that her punitive approach to land reform will achieve nothing.
“The SNP government should accept that further changes must be made before MSPs take a final decision this week, rather than railroading flawed legislation through parliament.”
Notes:
Scottish Land & Estates said the proposals for Land Management Plans are ‘worrying.’ Sarah-Jane Laing said: ‘…the proposal risks being derailed by a punitive approach – the stick rather than the carrot. Fines of up to £40,000 for breaches could be larger than serious environmental crimes.’ https://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/news/25548130.farm-organisations-split-forced-lotting-lmp-fines/
NFU Scotland believe the Bill could damage rural businesses. Vice-President Duncan Macalister said that proposals would ‘punish those who manage a significant proportion of Scotland’s land to exceptionally high standards’ and also that ‘there’s now a real risk that this Bill will reduce land availability, stall vital investment, and do lasting damage to the very businesses and communities it claims to support.’ NFU Scotland Challenges Scottish Government Over Harmful Land Reform P
The joint letter can be read here: https://andywightman.scot/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DM_AW_CabSec.pdf