(Updated 14.45 6th July with response from Mr Lyon below) For Argyll published an item recently recording Rural Affairs Secretary, Richard Lochhead’s setting up an enquiry into the management of the Single Farm Payment (SFP). This is a European Union subsidy to farmers which in Scotland is paid to the farmer and not the farm.

Mr Lochhead anticipates that one of the first jobs of the new European Commission – which is equivalent to Cabinet Government in UK politics and is where the real power in the EU lies – will be to revise the Common Agricultural Policy which is agreed no longer to be fit for purpose.

His enquiry is therefore advance planning designed to position Scotland to represent itself strongly in the revision process and to prepare for dealing productively with what is likely to be a reduced SFP subsidy.

One of the issues with which the enquiry will be concerned is the current practice of paying the SFP ot the farmer and not tying it to the farm. This means that, for instance, any farmer in receipt of an SFP might sell his farm but be legally able to keep the SFP subsidies until 2012, when revised arrangements will come into force.

This is seen as unhelpful to new entrants to farming – which needs them – who would be left without the subsidy important to their survival. The retention of the subsidy by any individual in such circumstances would also, of course, be morally improper where it happened, however much it might be ‘within the rules’, a phrase we are all heart sick of hearing today.

Our article took the view that the Rural Affairs Secretary’s action demonstrated the calibre of strategic forward planning that will stand Scotland in good stead in the future of its crucial agricultural sector.

The mystery

In the days after this article was published it began to attract some curious comments which we were initially unable either to relate to the subject matter or to understand. References – allegations – were made i respect of an unidentified  ‘he’, as in ‘Does that mean he will be getting farmer payments from Europe while he is a Euro MP and not got a farm?’; and, twice, to cruelty to animals.

Eventually a comment added a name and another set of allegations to the effect that newly elected Liberal Democrat MEP, George Lyon, from the Isle of Bute had, in the short space since his election, ‘closed his farm, sacked his staff, evicted his tenants yet will still continue to get his farm subsidy’.

We referred the matter some time ago to The Buteman, the newspaper and online news service for Bute and continued to make our own enquiries to discover what on earth all of this was about – if anything.

The Buteman was unable to make contact with Mr Lyon who was, we understand, in Europe, but For Argyll, through Andrew Nisbet, leader of the Lib Dem group on Argyll and Bute Council has been sent this statement by Mr Lyon. It is put out jointly by Mr Lyon and the Mount Stuart Trust, his landlords. We reproduce the statement here in full and unedited.

The clarification: Joint Statement from Mount Stuart Trust and George Lyon

‘As a result of an approach by The Mount Stuart Trust last May to Mr George Lyon’s agent, the Estate entered into discussions with his representative about the future of Mr Lyon’s agricultural tenancies with us.

‘A fair and amicable agreement has now been reached with Mr Lyon. He will vacate Kildavannan, Achavoulaig and Little Kilmory Farms at the end of November 2009.

‘The Mount Stuart Trust will re-let these holdings on the open market.

‘The Trustees of the Mount Stuart Trust wish George all success and good wishes in his future career as European Member of Parliament representing Scotland.

‘Commenting, George Lyon said: “Giving up my farms here on Bute is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever taken.

“My father, brother and I have over two generations put years of hard work and investment into improvements on the farms and that has been fully reflected in the agreement I have reached with the Estate.

“As there was little prospect of ever gaining ownership of my farms here on the island this deal opened up the only opportunity to become an owner occupier elsewhere in my own right.

“Therefore the only decision open to me was to accept the Estates fair offer and relinquish the Tenancies.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to Johnny Bute and his representatives for their honourable and straightforward approach to the many discussions that took place between us over the last twelve months in reaching this agreement.

“I also wish to thank my staff for their outstanding loyalty, dedication and hard work over the years and wish them well in the future.

“I will continue to keep my home here on Bute at Kildavannan Cottage”.’

The remaining questions

Single farm payment

The statement makes no mention of Mr Lyon’s situation on this matter. We do not know whether Mr Lyon is in receipt of SFP subsidy or subsidies; or whether, if he is, his intention is to return the subsidy/ies to the farms intended to be supported or to keep it/them until 2012, as he is legally entitled to do.

The sums involved are likely to be substantial. Public opinion is currently strongly against actions which are ‘within the rules’ but morally unacceptable.

Given these factors, we have no doubt that an experienced politician and a long time farmer like Geooge Lyon with agriculture close to his heart would do nothing other than make sure that the farms he has been loath to leave will have the benefit of the subsidy/ies given to support them.

However, for the record and to satisfy public interest issues, we will put the question to Mr Lyon and will pblish is response, again unedited and in full.

To allay anxieties on the human consequences  of the Mount Stuart Trust’s request to Mr Lyon to relinquish his tenancies of the farms in question, we are also asking for information on the specific current and future positions of staff employed by Mr Lyon on these farms; and of any actions taken by Mr Lyon and/or the Mount Stuart Trust to protect the jobs of those concerned.

Both Mr Lyon and the Mount Stuart Trust will naturally have been sensitive to the local employment situation and it would be useful to have on record the actions they will have taken.

Cruelty to animals

This was another issue mentioned in a comment on our Lochhead Enquiry article. Internet research discovered an article pubished in The Scotsman on 31st March 1998, written by Andrew Denholm: Scots farmers’ leader fined on charges of cruelty to ewes.

This documents:

• that the then newly elected president of the Scottish National Farmers’ Union, George Lyon, had appeared in Rothesay Sheriff Court on two charges concerning the treatment of sheep from his farm
• that he had admitted the charges
• that he was fined £400 – £250 for allowing the transportation of seven ewes from Rothesay to Stirling auction market when they were unfit to be moved; and a further £150 for allowing one ewe to be caused unnecessary pain and distress when he should have known of the animal’s condition
• that, in passing sentence, Sheriff John Herald said he had taken into account Mr Lyon’s high profile

These are the publicly recorded facts in the matter. Because this event was over 10 years ago and everyone can make mistakes, we are also asking Mr Lyon if there is any retrospective comment he wishes to make on the matter.

And finally

Politicians are human beings too, although they may have a harder shell than most of us. But land is a visceral thing and land that a family has farmed for generations grips the psyche of any individual. Mr Lyon’s career is now taking him to Brussels and to Strasbourg, an exciting and challenging direction but any farmer would feel keenly the loss of the places where his roots were put down.

Related Posts

• The Buteman adds to the George Lyon story (1)
• Lochhead’s Enquiry into EU Single Farm Payment and issues raised by George Lyon MEP on his own intentions (1)
• Lochhead sets up inquiry into Single Farm Payment to position Scotland well in coming CAP negotiations (4)
• Support for new entrants to farming in Bute Estate’s lettings (2)
• This week For Argyll sees Sunday Herald pick up a story, Guardian reference another and Clydeport play the lawyers’ letter move (1)

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