ALTHOUGH I disagree profoundly with Mark Harper's

political opinions I have, reluctantly, come to admire his

political skills.

When he was first selected as the Conservative

candidate for the Forest of Dean, the local Conservative

Association was a busted flush. They had a couple of

district councillors elected from the Conservative

heartlands in the North of the district, but were otherwise

invisible.

Since then, Mark has worked tirelessly to build up

the Conservative membership, ruthlessly discarding a

handful of old Tory stalwarts, and fielding a full slate of

(somewhat eccentric) candidates in the last two district

elections.

After his election in 2005 as a then opposition MP,

he subtly and skilfully used the controversy over the

possible closure of our community hospitals to maximise

his profile and that of his party and to denigrate the

Labour Party.

Aided, no doubt, by Lord Ashcroft's millions, the

Conservative Party are now very well resourced and the

dominant political force in the Forest of Dean.

It is therefore a puzzle to me why Mark Harper's

political compass has now gone completely haywire.

Intoxicated by power in his new Government position, he

has allowed himself to become the Minister responsible

for piloting through the legislation that could lead to the

privatisation of the Forest of Dean.

His constituents are not stupid. They know talk of a

community co-operative to buy out the Forest of Dean is

pure "pie in the sky." His hard-working constituents have

not the time, resources or skills to take on such a task.

They know that the likely outcome of pursuing that course

would be untold thousands of pounds poured into the

pockets of consultants with no clear outcome.

We are aware of the existence of the Forest of Dean

Health and Social Care Community Interest Company that

cost the public purse some £170,000 to set up, but has

no resources or capacity to carry out the function for

which it was intended.

Most of his constituents regard the Forestry

Commission as overwhelmingly a benign steward of our

publicity owned forest and want it well left alone.

Mark Harper has only one option if he is to retain the

confidence of his electorate, so convincingly won just

under six months ago. He must go to David Cameron,

resign his current Government position and align himself

with the HOOF campaign to save the Forest of Dean from

privatisation.

– Cllr Bruce Hogan, Labour and Co-operative

Councillor Lydbrook and Ruardean, Labour Group Leader

FODDC.