News / Crofters urged to stand for election
A SHETLAND based crofting leader is calling on tenants to put their names forward in the first ever election to the Crofting Commission.
Scottish Crofting Federation chairwoman Eleanor Arthur said the postal ballot in March would allow crofters to influence how the sector is regulated in the future.
From 1 April the Crofting Commission will be made up of six elected members plus three appointees.
One of the three appointees named on Thursday is Shetland landlord Sandy Cross, who stood for the Conservatives at last May’s Scottish Parliament election, where he came fifth with 3.5 per cent of the vote.
Mrs Arthur said: “I would encourage all crofters who are eligible to vote to make sure the commission have the correct details for them so that they receive a ballot paper.
“They should also consider standing for election and they should certainly encircle their vote.”
Outgoing Crofters’ Commission chairman and Ollaberry crofter Drew Ratter said the commission had played an important role since 1886 helping to keep people living and working in the remote highlands and the islands.
Firing the starting gun on the crofting elections, environment minister Stewart Stevenson said: “The Scottish government wants to give crofters a voice to determine their own future and these first ever Crofting Commission elections is a solid step down that road.
“The Scottish government believes crofts that are occupied and worked can be the biggest contribution to the sustainable economic growth and development of our crofting communities. Having an effective regulator is a vital part of achieving that aim.”
Mr Stevenson also appointed, Skye crofter Susan Walker, Skye resident and Highlands and Islands Enterprise board member William Swann, as well as Sandy Cross to the commission.
Mr Cross is a qualified investment manager with a career background in financial services. He is the landlord of a 1,600 hectare crofting estate at Vementry, in Shetland.
The government said Mr Cross would bring governance experience to the board of the Crofting Commission and would represent the interests of landlords of crofts.
Voting is restricted to one vote per croft and to one vote per crofter – a multiple occupancy croft must nominate one voter, and a crofter with multiple crofts is only eligible for one vote.
The elections will be conducted using a postal ballot with ballot papers being issued on 27 February. The count takes place in Inverness at the Highland Council headquarters on Friday 16 March.
The deadline for returning candidate nomination papers and application papers for proxy and absent votes is Thursday 26 January.
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