Scottish Lib Dems uncover brutal extent of SNP farming scandal

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for Shetland Beatrice Wishart has today revealed the brutal extent of the SNP’s farming scandal, as she highlighted that fewer than 1 in 10 small farmers and crofters received funding from a botched Scottish Government scheme that was meant to support them.

The Scottish Government’s Future Farming Investment Scheme was supposed to help farmers buy new machinery, improve efficiency or reduce emissions.

Crucially, ministers promised that small farms, crofts, islanders and tenanted farmers would be prioritised in the awarding of this funding.

However, Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information requests have now uncovered that:

• Across the country, 91% (1,421) of the small farms and crofts to apply for the scheme got nothing.
• Of the 76 small farms that applied through the Golspie office in Caithness, just one business was successful.
• Likewise, 99% of small farms and crofts in Stornoway got nothing, and only one was successful.
• 98% of applications were rejected or unsuccessful among the small farms and crofts which applied through Portree, where just 3 businesses were successful.
• 95% of the small farms that applied through the offices in Inverness and Thurso got nothing, while only 4 were successful in Elgin.
• The small farms with the highest success rate under the scheme were in Hamilton - but almost 80% of small farms were still rejected here.

The success rate among medium and large farms was higher. Around a quarter of the medium and large farms that applied were successful.

Farmers across Scotland have said that the allocations made under the scheme have left them “bitterly disappointed”, “confused” and “let down”.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for Shetland Beatrice Wishart said:

“This botched SNP scheme denied support to almost all of the farmers it was meant to be helping. It is a complete scandal.  

“As small farmers and crofters in Shetland, Orkney, the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Argyll & Bute and Dumfries opened these rejection letters, they saw yet more proof of a government that fails to deliver for them.

“We now know that this scheme was a total lottery. The SNP Government wasted farmers’ money and time in encouraging them to apply; it is no wonder so many of them feel let down.

“They deserve better. Scottish Liberal Democrats have a realistic plan to get things done for our rural and agricultural communities.

"In many of these constituencies we are on the verge of winning against the SNP, but wherever you are every vote for the Scottish Liberal Democrats on the second, peach ballot paper will deliver change with fairness at its heart."