Call for break up of crofts body

Crofting is in decline says Brian Wilson

A former government minister is to call for crofting's regulatory body to be broken up and run at local level.

Brian Wilson said the Crofters Commission should be decentralised.

The former energy minister and Labour MP will deliver his views on the commission in full at the Angus MacLeod Memorial Lecture in Lewis.

Crofters Commission chairman, Drew Ratter, said the organisation had already decentralised as far as it was feasible.

The concept of a remote bureaucracy in Inverness administering the relentless decline of crofting communities and the disintegration of crofting tenure has always been ludicrous Brian Wilson Càineadh Ùghdaras nan Croitearan

In comments released ahead of Thursday night's event, Mr Wilson said decisions affecting crofting communities should be taken by the communities themselves.

He said: "The concept of a remote bureaucracy in Inverness administering the relentless decline of crofting communities and the disintegration of crofting tenure has always been ludicrous."

Mr Ratter said he did not believe Mr Wilson's comments were constructive.

He said the commission was a small hard working group of people which was doing its best within the existing legal framework.

The Angus Macleod Memorial Lecture is organised by The Islands Book Trust and Comunn Eachdraidh na Pairc (Park Historical Society) in honour of the late Angus 'Ease' Macleod MBE, of Calbost, South Lochs, Lewis.