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Review: "Who governs rural Scotland?"
People Too Conference,
Dewar Centre, Perth, 29th October 2004
Part 1: Introduction
Dr James Irvine
Teviot Scientific, Cultybraggan Farm, Comrie,
Perthshire
Filed 08 Nov 04
©www.land-care.org.uk
Kirsty Macleod has done it again. Following
the remarkable success of the first conference in 2001 - which attracted
more people than the main conferences that year of Scottish Natural
Heritage (SNH) or of the then extant Scottish Landowner's Federation
- she organised a second conference (1),
but this time under the name of the PEOPLE TOO organisation and
with her co-directors Donald Manford and Ian Mitchell (2)
and the latest addition, Niall McKillop (3).
Kirsty Macleod
of PEOPLE TOO
(For enlargement Click
Here
Photo ©Kimpton Graphics
Held in the Dewar Centre, Perth on Friday
29th October, it attracted over 100 delegates from throughout Scotland.
The programme was designed to have a stimulating mix of speakers.
They included a highly respected sea mammal scientist, those whose
livelihoods depend on working on the land and the sea, and an array
of politicians in the form of MSP's and those who serve on local
government.
This conference was an expression of the increasing
concern that people who work on the land and sea have as to the
manner in which rural affairs are being managed by the predominately
urban-based elected politicians at Holyrood and the non-elected
Civil Servants of the Scottish Executive. In particular there is
much concern at the escalating influence that non-elected special
interest lobby groups have on the Scottish Executive Civil Service.
A fluent Gaelic speaker with strong family connections
with the island of Coll and who has been a partner in the running
of Glen Cloy agricultural estate at Spean Bridge, Inverness-shire
for many years (and continues to be), Kirsty Macleod is familiar
with the problems. Well educated and articulate, and with lots of
charm, she is just what the rural community needs to get across
its message of profound disquiet. On account of her tenacity of
purpose it is not surprising that she has been commendably referred
to as one of the RSPB's less favoured birds.
This website is to run a series of articles reviewing
some of the papers given at this important meeting. The first of
these will be commenting on the opening paper given by Professor
Ian Boyd of St Andrews University entitled: "From science
to policy and management",
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1. People Too (2004). Who governs
rural Scotland? Conference programme, 29th October.
See SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENTAL/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 13 Oct
04, www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
2. Maxwell, Fordyce (2002). People
Too elects board members.
http://www.scotsman.com Click
Here to View
3. Fresh Air (2004).
No 3. Summer issue, 2004
Copies may be obtained from Kirsty Macleod, People Too, PO Box
8002, Spean Bridge, Inverness-shire PH34 4EP
Further Reading
Editorial (2002). An Interview with Kirsty Macleod.
Fresh Air. No 1 summer 2002
http://www.ileach.co.uk/freshair/one.html (Click
Here to View)
Finis
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