I AM ashamed, embarrased and disgusted at the behaviour of the Conservatives.

I will no longer say some of them, although on Wednesday December 8, at full council, the second full council because of such along debate about saving the Forests, there was another.

One member, a lone member of the Conservative group did the right thing. This member had the courage, and yes, I say courage, to put his vote the right way.

Courage: Because now he will have to watch his back. The residents may wonder what I mean. Well, if a member of the Conservative group goes against what the leader says, the henchmen step in. The leader does say there is no whip. No, not one, but three at least. These three heckle when members stand up to speak. A witchhunt starts against the member who dared going against the party.

When this happens the member can have a nervous breakdown, or become cowed and agree to anything, one's own mind now being taken away brainwashed. Hard to believe, but this does happen. If you remember, I used to be in this group. You would be a fool to try and brainwash someone like me.

I always invite residents to come to one of the full council meetings. Watch how the Conservatives just sit, and press the right buttons. Not many speak out, and if they do it will be in favour to what they have agreed by, perhaps their leader, or someone else in the group.

When this member went against his party, one of the hecklers shouts out 'traitor.' Yep, for speaking up about saving the forests this member was a traitor. The Leader of the Conservative group just sat there and didn't even look around at the one who called out. Not to say that this was a wrong thing to say, well no, because the Leader himself glared at the one who voted against. If looks could kill. The chairperson did try to quieten down the Conservatives who were calling out and heckling, but to no avail. Can you imagine hooligans at a football match. No different really.

This was against a motion, a sensible motion. A motion that any intelligent person would have agreed on. One that you would think, that we would all stick together on as a team. After all, isn't this about saving our forests? This motion was put by an educated, decent gentleman who happens to be an Independent. Someone who has this own mind and not ruled by any leader. At our ages why should we be? To see grown ups follow their leader at the council, is very sad. Now I realise how wars come about, it only takes a minority.

For those who do not know what the motion said:

1. Write to Mark Harper MP. David Cameron PM and copy this to the Secretary of State. Others were also mentioned in Parliament, requesting their urgent action to exempt the Royal Forest of Dean from Clause 17 of the Public Bodies Bill.

2. For a deputation of members representatives from all groups and an officer/ and co-opted experts to visit and meet with those engaged in the Public Bodies Bill passing through the Lords and Commons.

3. For the Solicitor of this council to co-ordinate matters included in the bullet point 2.

This should have brought all the district councillors together no matter what party they represent. What harm was there in everyone sitting down to help out with the letter, why not send to the Government and have your say in this White paper. After all this is now the 'Big Society.' We are all going to have our say and volunteer to help out in the community.

Perhaps the reason for the arguing was because this motion wasn't the idea of the Conservative group. They didn't have any control. It is political no matter what they say. I have been in politics since birth, I do know how it works.

I left the Conservatives to become an Independent for a very good reason. It was bad when I first became a district councillor with the knife stabbing and arguing against other Conservatives by their own group. The jealousy over the leadership. The greed, with a member saying that they would not do anything without being paid for it. The self importance. You hardly see some of the Cabinet in the members' room mixing with any of their own members. The control with the whipping of the members. The fear that some Conservatives try to put into you by threats. The party, only for the party, never for the residents of the Forest of Dean. This is from councillors who joined the council at the same time as you did. Are their CVs much different from the rest of us??No, not a lot, in fact I will say some members who are not in top jobs have had better positions in their time and some still have who are still working.

I have had to watch the Conservatives in a short time drag down the Forest of Dean, this council and their own party with their childishness, wanting their own way, playing up, lack of experience and professionalism, loutishness to some other members and at full council. And no-one puts a stop to it. Surely if there was good strong leader this behaviour would not carry on? Or perhaps this is the norm for the members of the Conservative group, including the leader.

For me and others like me, it isn't. I shudder to think that I could have become the same way if I had stayed with the Conservatives. Would I have sat in the chamber like a stuffed dummy, glazed-eyed, with my finger resting on the button that I was told to push. Brain dead. I watched a film similar to that only the other night.

Nope, that is one thing that I would have never done, even if I was still there.

I have far too much pride in the Forest of Dean, and in myself to sink so low.

This will not go down very well now that I have spoke up about my worries. Everyone knows that I speak my mind. But will I now have to watch my back from the henchmen of this party?

– Cllr Maria Edey, Independent for the people with the people and never a party.