THE MP?Mark Harper has spoken on the sale of our forests, and one by one, Conservative councillors have lined up disgracefully to toe the line on the issue. Sincere and genuinely concerned Foresters have been brushed aside, branded small-minded and playing small time politics, and need to be held to account.

This only goes to show just how out of touch this MP and his band of blue faithful really are. Most of them have lived in this area just a decade or over; they talk down to people who know this area with their eyes closed, they try to tell people what is best for them and the Forest in which they were born.

What a downright cheek.

It is high time Forest people stood up and told this bigoted outfit just where to go. The thing that is making this little lot so angry, is the fact that this is exactly what is now happening and not before time.

The campaign is nothing to do with politics. To know this one only has to look at the groups involved. In the words of a good friend of mine, Mr Roy Mills, who was a prisoner in the Korean War, many Foresters have died for the freedom of these woods, and we intend to keep them free.

My three times great grandfather James Morgan, was born in 1791 in Lane End; his son, Thomas Morgan was born at Oldcroft in 1815, in turn his son George Morgan was born in 1854 in Moseley Green, his son was Sam Morgan, born in the Works, Cinderford 1890, along with my father Merlin. They were all miners.

So unlike this band of newcomers who think they know just about everything, this is what gives me the authority to speak about my beloved Forest of Dean.?The Forest has little with regard to rights of way. Our freedom to roam is at the grace of the Forestry Commission who, in my opinion, do a fantastic job looking after our woodland.

The Commission fell trees in a sensitive manner so that our blue remembered hillsides are not clear felled. This would not be the case with a profit making organisation. It would be back to the days when whole escarpments were laid to waste, just like someone had set off an atomic bomb. How many of the Dean's estimated 1.5 million visitors would come to see it then?

We hear them say let's have a community-based company, we can all become shareholders. What a load of twonk, they must think we just landed off the last boat! Why would Foresters buy something they already own?

The last community-based company in the Forest was to buy and run the Dilke Hospital. A load of money was given by the Forest of Dean District Council, 'tax payers money,' and the last I heard they are still trying to find what happened to it. It would have been better to have given that money to the Dilke's League of Friends.

Just imagine a not-for-profit company buying the Forest of Dean. Try to imagine how much the premiums would cost on public liability insurance alone. Millions no doubt when you introduce walkers, cyclists, hunting with guns, into an area with bell pits, hidden shafts and wild boar.

Who are these people trying to kid. The Forestry Commission has never had insurance, they have the government to support any claim against them, that is why they are happy for us to roam free. How long would it be before high fences were erected blaming these very facts?

What of our ancient traditions of free mining, commoners, and modern things like our Wyedean Stages Rally, the very beauty of the flora and fauna and many other unique things that go to make our Forest of Dean a very special place, and one to be treasured?

The Government did not put this in any manifesto. They do not have a mandate to carry this out, so why is this happening. The answer is not for any timber profit, and neither as they would have us believe, "to control our Forest locally." No my friends, the answer lies firmly in what lies beneath this Forest's surface, in one word 'minerals.'

Large mining companies are lining up in the background and rubbing their hands and just waiting. You only have to think of what has already been surveyed; Lightmoor 800,000 tons, Hawkell 80,000 tons,?Brierley 500,000 tons, Cannop Valley 500,000 tons and Oaken Hill Wood to name a few.

The Forest of Dean coalfield covers an area of 90km2 plus areas of valuable limestone. It is estimated that the remaining coal deposits amount to some 12 million tons, so here lies the reason behind government thinking, and these people accuse us of being diverse. Carry this through and you will find out just how divisive and angry some Foresters can be.

So come on Mark Harper stop hiding behind sop like the Big Society and come clean on your Government's real plans for our beautiful Forest of Dean, and prepare for the fight of your life, one that has not even started yet, for you are awaking a sleeping giant!

– Graham Morgan, (born in the Dilke Hospital, bred on the Monkey Tump).