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Labour MSP demands land ownership ‘for the many not the few’

LABOUR MSP Mercedes Villalba slammed the hoarding of Scotland’s land by the super-rich today, calling it “overwhelmingly feudal.”

The ownership of the bulk of the land by a few extremely wealthy individuals is worse than the monopolies in banking, supermarkets and energy, Ms Villalba told Holyrood.

Presenting her motion on deconcentrating land ownership to limit how much land the super-rich can own, she said: “Scotland’s land market is almost completely unregulated.

“Provided their bank balance is big enough, anyone can buy whatever land they want with no questions asked.”

Under the proposed plans, community groups would have the right to own and manage land.

The North East Scotland MSP demanded a “new system of land ownership that empowers local communities and delivers for the common good.”

She highlighted the “deeply unequal” arrangements where just 432 landowners owning half of all Scotland’s privately owned land.

“Although Scotland officially abolished Feudal Tenure in 2000, the system of land tenure is still overwhelmingly feudal in nature,” Ms Villalba said.

“In many communities the relationship of landholder and tenant remains deeply unequal.

“And, since it was reported in 2013 that just 432 landowners own half of all Scotland’s privately owned land, there has been no indication of any significant change.”

Ms Villalba said that the wealthy buying up whole swathes of Scotland’s land reflected the inequality of the cost-of-living and austerity crisis, adding: “While many of our constituents struggle to cover the cost of basics like food, housing, and energy, a small number of individuals are free to buy up more land than they could possibly ever need, denying the public our fair share. 

“But it doesn’t have to be this way. Inequality isn’t inevitable.

“Now is the time for land for the many, not the few.”

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