Recently I heard someone say ‘Scotland is not being sold’ with regards to Freeports etc. Technically they were right, land is being Leased on a

25yr+ basis. But these are no ordinary leases.

When we think of Leases we generally take it for granted that when a person takes on a lease certain guarantees and conditions come with it and the owner remains in overall control.

What we have with Freeports & SEZs is something very different and its not just the size of the land!

First of all, most of the land in these leases already belongs to or is leased by others, so their existing rights go right out the window. This includes private house owners!! If a house or business gets in the way of big multinational corporations……beware of the new Compulsory Purchase Laws, especially so for farmers.

Once this land is ringfenced you may aswell think of it as another country. Corporate Laws take over from Local and Scottish Laws, in other words they are a law unto themselves. They can have their own police, right to roam will go, taxes that you and I have to pay living within the area are abolished for them….but not for you! If you work for any of these companies your employment rights are greatly diminished.

Now Ms Forbes will tell you they have an ‘understanding’ that covers a lot of these things. Ask your local council how much they lose through loss of income etc……that might explain your rise in Council Tax.

An ‘understanding’ means nothing and has no legal binding…..its just a ‘nod and a wink’!!

Given all this, the land may as well have been sold because the ‘owners’ {Scot Gov} have given away all rights normally retained by the owner.

It’s worse actually because if a Local authority or the Scot Gov pass any Laws that these companies deem as interference with how they run their business or profits they can sue us. The power of who does what has been reversed.

And you wonder why the government can’t apply Land Reforms…..they can’t because they have given so much of it away!!

If you want to know more go along to this event as see who really gains with Freeports….. Because it ain’t you!