REVIVE Coalition announces line-up for this year’s conference

REVIVE, the coalition for grouse moor reform, is hosting it’s annual national conference at Perth Concert Hall on Sunday 10th November 2024 and the full programme has now been announced.

Press release from REVIVE:

Big Land Question Conference to Tackle Land Reform

• Actor David Hayman to co-host conference with Lesley Riddoch on 10 November in Perth.
• The conference will launch a year-long programme of independent research to gather robust data on what the Scottish people want land reform to deliver.
• The big question at the core of the conference is why do just 433 individuals own half of Scotland’s private land?

The REVIVE Coalition is set to launch ‘The Big Land Question’ campaign at a landmark conference in Perth next month that will address the pressing issue of land reform in Scotland.

Co-chaired by actor David Hayman alongside journalist and broadcaster Dr Lesley Riddoch, the event will take place at a time of increasing public demand for more ambitious land reform policies.

The question at the core of the conference is the fact that just 433 individuals control half of Scotland’s private land, an imbalance that has far-reaching consequences for local communities, wildlife and the environment.

The need to change patterns of land ownership was highlighted by a 2019 review by SRUC commissioned by the Scottish Land Commission. The review stated that concentrated land ownership was causing “significant and long-term damage to the communities affected”, and that the economic benefits from scale of ownership tend to benefit the landowner rather than communities.

David Hayman underscored the significance of the conference, commenting: 

“For too long, Scotland’s land has been in the hands of the few. The Big Land Question is about bringing people together – from activists and policymakers to those directly impacted – to ask the tough questions about what land reform means in practice. This is an important conference with a provocative and inspiring programme. Ultimately, it’s about fairness and how we ensure that Scotland’s land benefits the many.

“Access to land and decisions about how it’s used affect so many aspects of Scottish life, from housing and the economy to recreation and wellbeing. The highly concentrated nature of Scotland’s land ownership is a roadblock to unlocking the potential prosperity of our nation’s natural resources. We need bold, innovative solutions and more ambition in our policy approach, and this conference is where those conversations will happen. We’ve got a real chance to drive change and this could be the turning point for Scotland’s people, wildlife and environment we’ve been looking for. I’m proud to be part of it.”

The one-day conference in Perth is being organised by REVIVE – a coalition of environmental, social justice and animal welfare organisations – and it features a diverse panel of prominent speakers including Andy Wightman, author, land reform campaigner and former MSP who recently revealed that research shows the Duke of Buccleuch has been responsible for redistributing more land in the last five years than Scottish Government has managed in 25 years of devolution, although this has been costly for communities.

The largest of the Buccleuch land holdings to move into community ownership is Tarras Valley Nature Reserve, a former grouse moor near Langholm, and Estate Manager Jenny Barlow will also speak at the conference. She will be joined by Kevin Cumming, Director of Rewilding Britain, Donna Smith, Chief Executive of the Scottish Crofting Federation, and Michael Russell, Chair of the Scottish Land Commission. Participating political figures include Rhoda Grant MSP (Scottish Labour) and Arianne Burgess MSP (Scottish Green Party), both representing the Highlands and Islands, and a Scottish Government Minister is also expected to attend.

Max Wiszniewski, Campaign Manager for the REVIVE Coalition, said: 

“This conference comes at a pivotal moment where there is growing recognition that the current patterns of land ownership are holding back Scotland. Our polling data demonstrates strong public support for policies that would limit the amount of land any one person or business can own, increase community ownership, and ensure that land use aligns with climate and biodiversity goals.

“The Big Land Question conference will provide a platform for serious discussion on how to address these demands, and it will launch a campaign of independent research with the aim of enhancing and informing policy development to create a more democratic, fair, and sustainable vision for Scotland’s land.”

Polling carried out for the REVIVE Coalition and Community Land Scotland by the Diffley Partnership in May this year showed that a clear majority of Scots want land reform policies to go much further than the land reform bill currently proposed by the Scottish Government. The new year-long programme of research will build on those initial findings, using a combination of surveys and moderated stakeholder roundtables to provide rich data and insights that will be shared with political parties and policy makers.

The suffocating impact of Scotland’s concentrated land ownership was also evident in research by Biggar Economics, published last year and commissioned by Scottish Land and Estates. The report identified that 1125 rural estates take up approximately 4.1 million hectares, and found that while this equates to around 57% of Scotland’s rural land, they:

• Account for less than 2% of the value of the Scottish economy, a level assessed as “trivial” by the report authors
• Account for just 1 in 10 rural jobs
• Provide only around 3% of rural homes and build around 1% of new homes built in rural areas each year

The research also noted that only a quarter of estates self-report that they actively contribute to community empowerment.

Max Wiszniewski added:

“While members of the REVIVE Coalition welcome the work done on land reform so far, the current Land Reform (Scotland) Bill lacks ambition and does not align with the expectations of the Scottish people. We look forward to The Big Land Question conference and campaign shining a spotlight on opportunities to transform Scotland’s pattern of increasingly concentrated land ownership for good.”

The Big Land Question Conference takes place on Sunday 10^th November at Perth Concert Hall. Tickets cost £8 (£5 concession) and are available from the venue HERE.

ENDS