Those who keep abreast of Scottish farming politics would have found little to surprise them in Scotland’s Future White Paper.
The claims of what might be achieved in an independent Scotland and the criticisms of what has happened in the past under UK governance will all be quite familiar.
The message is that Scotland’s farmers and crofters have been repeatedly let down by Westminster governments which have failed to prioritise Scottish farming in domestic policies and in European negotiations, and have argued and acted against Scotland’s interests.
Some topics aired in the White Paper have had much exposure in recent weeks.
Scotland has had the third-lowest average direct payment per hectare in Europe, and the position will be worse in the reformed CAP with the country having a lower average rate per hectare than any other member state in Europe and than the rest of the UK.
The Westminster Government is also criticised for disadvantaging Scotland further by deciding, despite cross-party opposition in the Scottish Parliament, to distribute across all the counties of the UK more than 220 million euros of agricultural subsidy uplift, received from the EU to promote convergence.
The uplift is a direct consequence of Scotland’s lower payments, and should have been used to benefit Scottish farmers who have the lowest per hectare rates, says the White Paper.
The claim is that these problems and disadvantages would not occur in the future if Scotland had direct representation.
There is, however, a fairly remarkable claim buried within the text. The White Paper claims that in an independent Scotland farmers and crofters would continue to receive CAP payments because the budget is already set until 2020.
“Quite how that ties in with the almost inevitable likelihood that an independent Scotland would not be an EU member state for some or indeed all of the period from 2016 to 2020 is not explained clearly.
There is also an assertion that an independent Scotland would qualify for future member state funding increases.
The prospect of agricultural support being cut completely if Scotland remains in the UK is also raised.
“Scotland faces the possibility of leaving the EU because of Westminster’s planned in/out European referendum.
“If there is a vote to leave the EU, Scottish agriculture and our rural industries will no longer be part of the CAP and will be in the hands of a Westminster government with a stated policy of drastically reducing or even ending farm payments,” says the White Paper.
The vexed question of levy income from livestock reared in Scotland but slaughtered south of the border being used to promote beef, lamb and pork from elsewhere is given as an example of a grievance that has to be addressed.
Scottish Liberal Democrat MEP George Lyon said: “This was the SNP’s chance to answer many of the big questions that farmers have been asking about independence. They failed to do so. On agriculture what we got was a wish list without a price list.”
“The last member states to join the EU received a small fraction of the average Single Farm Payments.
“An independent Scotland would be free to try and negotiate a better deal, but it is not Alex Salmond who would hold the whip hand during talks in Brussels.”