Access to public land should benefit everyone | Letters

Dave Morris thinks agricultural subsidies should be passed to local authorities, while Nick Hanna suggests the creation of greenway routes

It seems Keir Starmer has joined a long list of England-based politicians who refuse to learn anything from Scotland (Labour U-turns on promise of Scottish-style right to roam in England, 25 October). Lobbying by oversubsidised farmers is again driving England to the bottom of the European league for public access to land and water.

Starmer needs to remember that Scotland’s public access rights were delivered by a Labour-Lib Dem coalition government in 2003. Twenty subsequent years have demonstrated that it works, for the benefit of both land managers and the wider public. And his prospective chancellor needs to decide if a good proportion of the current enormous agricultural subsidies should be transferred to local authorities and Natural England. They can deliver far better value for money in terms of public access benefits, climate change mitigation and more biodiversity in our countryside. A Labour-Lib Dem UK government might therefore be our best option, for everyone who enjoys the outdoors in England and greater contact with nature.
Dave Morris
Kinross, Perth and Kinross

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