Our new video series brings the leaders of Scotland’s main political parties to the farm, perched on bales of hay for a conversation with comedian and local farmer Jim Smith.
First to visit the farm is Scottish Greens Co-leader Patrick Harvie, to talk about all sorts of rural affairs.
“By rural affairs I mean the price of beef or local bus timetables, not who’s getting off with each other in the back of a Land Rover” Jim clarifies.
These cowshed conversations allow the party leaders to relax and open up in an informal setting about a wide range of subjects that are important to make people in Scotland in countryside communities – with Jim Smith promising them less of a grilling, and more of a gentle warming on the Aga.
Patrick Harvie says: “we’ve got a huge opportunity to really rethink the way that we use land in Scotland, in a way that’s going to benefit rural communities, benefit the environment, we’ve seen an incredible lack of biodiversity, with species under threat of extinction, so we’ve got to rethink and we’ve got to look to the future.”
During their chat Jim and Patrick cover a range of issues from whether cows should hold in their farts to help combat greenhous gas emissions, to a prospective Aviemore bid to host the Winter Olympics, and re-wilding efforts in the Higlands.
“It seems to me that Scottish people can’t even cope with midges, so how are they going to cope with wolves and bears roaming about?” Jim asks.
The videos with political party leaders visiting the farm can be found on our Election Hub website, with episodes featuring Willie Rennie, Anas Sarwar, Douglas Ross and Nicola Sturgeon still to come this week.