MARK Harper is clearly enthusiastic about plans to sell off all or part of the Forest of Dean.

I can accept that this is his sincerely held view. What I cannot accept quite so readily is that he did not share his vision with us just a few months ago during the general election.

An incoming government often likes to hit the ground running after winning an election and has a raft of measures prepared in advance that are then launched in record time.

The government White Paper on privatising our forests seems a prime example of just such a proposal. A proposal, you might think, that an MP for a forest area should have been consulted on or at least have been aware of.

Perhaps Mr Harper would have us believe he knew nothing about it. He certainly seems to know enough about it now to have formed a very clear view while at the same time cautioning the rest of us to await the details of the white paper before making up our minds.

This topic may well come to be the most emotive and controversial issue relating to this constituency in the life of the current parliament. Its stark absence from Mr Harper's election leaflets means he has no mandate for such a policy, perhaps he should seek one – now that would be an "exciting opportunity".

– Peter Tonks, Flaxley.