On cue just as the Government announcement comes out, two Conservative are at it yet again, trying to tell the Forest People what is best for them and their Forest.

Cllrs Mcmillan and Thornton tell us the three and a half thousand people that gathered at Speech House, over a bitter cold Christmas, was pure political theatre, the Hoof committee a cross section of the finest the Forest of Dean could put together are just political point scoring.

The one thing I have to say is that Mark Harper does not need any opposition when he has misguided buffoons the like of these two in his ranks. Never have I seen councillors more out of tune with the wishes of their community.

Just when are Conservative councillors going actually wake up to the fact that the Forest People do not want a charity to run this forest? They want it to stay just the way it is, run by the Forestry Commission. How hard is this point to understand?

The two letters that these two launched in this week's newspapers was nothing short of laughable to most, if not all Foresters. If as Cllr McMillan stated their government was going to follow this path from the beginning, then why do they have to amend the Public Bodies Bill to exempt heritage forests such as the Forest of Dean. Cllr McMillan must think we are all stupid.

Cllr Thornton said the MP Mark Harper has handled the situation in a quiet and effective way. Is this the reason that no one as seen him anywhere near the Forest for weeks. Perhaps he was busy keeping quiet?

When he made a TV appearance I have never seen an MP sweating or looking so frightened. He looked like a rabbit caught in a car headlights. Still with the anger this has caused in the Forest he should be frightened because there are a few around here that would like some answers.

Just in case there are any Conservative councillors who still think HOOF is political, all I can say is carry on thinking so, because you are not only making yourselves look foolish, you are totally out of touch with the fine body of Forest People that you are so miserably trying to represent.

If you are so naive enough to think we are going to be sold this recent announcement as an answer, you are even more out of touch than even I thought.

I would suggest both councillors take their MP Mark Harper along to see Rob Guest (former deputy surveyor) and spend an hour or two listening. Like the age old saying if these Conservatives knew half as much about the Forest as they think they know, then they would know twice as much as what they actually do know.

– Graham Morgan, born in the Hundred bred on the Monkey Tump.