FOLLOWING his election in 2005 Mark Harper won the

Forest of Dean seat with a majority of 2,049 votes.

I wrote to him to congratulate him on his victory. I

also asked at that time if he was to be a constituency MP

or a parliamentary MP. At the time I don't think he knew

the difference, as I did not get a reply to my question.

There is a huge difference.

Prior to the election in 2010 I asked him in this

newspaper what he had achieved personally for the people

of the Forest of Dean. Again I did not get a reply other

than from the chairman of the Conservative party group

for the Forest of Dean, who indicated that he had spoken

to at least 12,000 of his constituents in the previous five

years.

Having not achieved very much on behalf of his

constituents, he was given a very strong mandate in the

election winning by 11,064 votes, a five fold increase in

majority.

From this result he has gained entry into the inner

sanctum of the Conservative Party and a junior cabinet

post.

I think that a local skirmish about the fact the Forest

of Dean is to be sold off, will, I suspect, not persuade him

to change his mind on this very important local issue or

the course of action into which direction this Government

is now heading. The outcome will test his resolve and

prove to his superiors that he is worthy of higher office.

He will though, have to face his critics in this issue at

some stage.

I have come to the conclusion without getting that

earlier reply that our MP is an out and out parliamentary

MP. He is young, ambitious and I suspect willing to go the

extra mile to secure his standing in the party, irrespective

of the feelings and loyalties to his constituents. You can

have some obscurity in the Commons which is not so easy

to find in his constituency. (There may be no trees left to

hide behind).

I would not commit to say that the outcome will

damage his future as an MP as he has a proven track

record of success in elections whether it be here or

elsewhere.

He does not have a proven record as a good

constituency MP whereby, as the MP, he consults and

supports the views of the people who gave him his

chance in the first place and would fight alongside them

when the cause is just.

He has repeatedly tried through the media to

convince his constituents that he is on the side of right.

His failure to do so has raised major issue within his

constituency from all political factions and his credibility

as a constituent MP is being tested to the full

The battle lines have been drawn. Let battle

commence.

– Robert Harris, ex Berry Hill.