I write this letter from the perspective of having been a

Conservative all my life and, for a time, a deputy

chairman of the Forest of Dean Conservative Association.

Having attended the rally at Speech House to save

our Forest, I find myself ashamed that our local

Conservative MP Mark Harper did not have the courage to

come and put his views to the meeting.   Having recently

attended a similar meeting at Cinderford where the

Conservative County Council leader Mark Hawthorne

showed tremendous guts in facing a largely hostile

audience on cuts in the library services, Mark Harper

showed himself as someone more interested in his own

political career than with the issues concerning those he is

supposed to represent.

While as a Minister, Mark may not be free to tell us

exactly what the Government is planning for our forests,

he could have attended to reassure those present that he

understands their concerns and would fight to protect

their interests.   Instead his absence scored a political

own-goal in an event that was specifically promoted as

being not political!

No wonder questions are being asked about whether

Mark is losing interest in the Forest because his party has

lined him up for a safer seat elsewhere in the future?

It is all very well Mark saying that people should

stand back and wait to see what is actually being planned

for the Forest before they get up in arms but to do so

would be madness as, by that time, the power will rest

with the Minister to make decisions without having to

make reference to Parliament.  The Parliamentary process

demands that people make their feelings known now –

otherwise it will be too late.

I was also a little surprised to find at least two

Conservative district councillors at the rally who only a

few days earlier had voted with their party against action

by the council to seek an exemption for the Forest from

the Bill.   This hypocrisy raises serious questions over

whether they were elected purely and simply to do the

bidding of their party or to represent those who have

elected them.   I understand from comments by their

leader Peter Amos that there is no Conservative whip –

assuming this is true, one has to ask why they voted as

they did if they truly love the Forest, as I believe they do?

While I remain a committed Conservative and

member of the party, this does not mean that I necessarily

agree with everything that the Government or the party

does.    However, I hope I would always honour my beliefs

by making it clear exactly where I stand.  

I would urge others to do the same.

– James Winship, Alvington.