Who Really Owns Scotland? Andy Wightman on Land, Council Tax & Local Democracy. Ep 66

WHO REALLY OWNS SCOTLAND? | ANDY WIGHTMAN | WHAT'S THE POINT? Who owns Scotland's land? Who holds the power? And are the decisions shaping our communities really being made by the people who live in them? This week on What's the Point?, Greg Lennon and Gerry Brennan are joined by former Scottish Green MSP, author and land reform campaigner Andy Wightman for a fascinating discussion about land ownership, wealth, taxation and the future of local democracy in Scotland. Andy has spent decades investigating who owns Scotland and how the concentration of land and property influences political power, economic opportunity and everyday life. But the conversation goes far beyond land reform. With the Scottish Government considering significant changes to local government, Andy challenges the way Scotland is governed and asks whether we have moved too far towards centralisation. 🎙️ IN THIS EPISODE: 🏴 Who owns Scotland? Andy discusses his research into land ownership and why so much of Scotland's privately owned rural land remains concentrated in relatively few hands. 🌳 Land, wealth and power: From historic estates to modern investment companies, we explore who benefits from Scotland's natural resources. 🏘️ Community ownership: Can communities genuinely take control of their land and assets? 💷 Council tax reform: Why are Scottish homes still taxed using 1991 property valuations? Andy explains why meaningful reform has proved so difficult. 🏛️ The future of Scotland's 32 councils: Are councils too large to be truly local, yet too small to deliver certain regional services? ⚖️ Centralisation versus democracy: Have successive Scottish Governments taken too much power away from local communities? 🔥 Public service reform: Andy questions the pace of the current proposals and discusses the risks of rushing fundamental changes to democratic structures. 🌍 Lessons from Europe: Could Scotland learn from countries where smaller local authorities cooperate to deliver services while retaining democratic accountability? From land ownership to council tax, local democracy and public service reform, this is a conversation about who holds power in Scotland and whether that power should be closer to the people. 🔎 Find out more about Andy's research: Land Matters: https://andywightman.scot/ Who Owns Scotland: https://www.whoownsscotland.org.uk/ 💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION Should Scotland have more genuinely local councils? Is it time to replace council tax? And should communities have greater control over land and public services? Share your thoughts in the comments. 🎙️ WHAT'S THE POINT? Independent conversations about Scottish politics, local government, democracy and public accountability. Presented by Greg Lennon and Gerry Brennan. #WhatsThePoint #AndyWightman #WhoOwnsScotland #LandReform #ScottishPolitics #LocalGovernment #CouncilTax #ScottishGovernment #Democracy #PublicServiceReform