I would like to thank all those folk who voted in the County Elections and of course, those kind folk who supported my five-week walking campaign, albeit unsuccessful. Although the outcome had been predicted, it was an important matter for me to contest my own division, where politi­cal promises and principles concerning selling our forest have made local government a laughing stock.

Concerning the plans to sell public forests under the guise of the District Council exchanging agreement with the Forestry, if it hadn't been for a few dedicated people, these disposal agreements would have been completed. In 2011, all of the political parties united to prevent these sales by the Conservative Government. Two years later, they are now united in their plans to destroy Key Wildlife Sites totally against the wishes of the good people who supported HOOF. Furthermore, these plans oppose the stated wishes of the royal Verderers.

I am also saddened by the sordid issues surrounding the development of Five Acres and Berry Hill and the back-door politics behind plans to develop their  community land and college. Again, under the guise of regenerating Five Acres, the County and District Councils and Homes and Community Agency continue to squander tax-payers money – funding Labour and Conservative  Party woodland pipe-dreams, by selling off our most ancient Royal Forest. No wonder MP Mark Harper is publically shedding tears at the loss of his County Councillors. Between them they have done nothing apart from close the education centre at the Wilderness, and are currently doing the same for Five Acres college.

Their masterplan with the District Council (which itself is costing the Earth) is simply a means to privatising public woodlands around the Northern Quarter. Unless the Labour Party wakes up to the fact that the Conservatives are using them for their long term privatisation plans – they will become a political irrelevance. They will be responsible for the systematic  destruction of Key Wildlife Sites and will be providing the Government with the justification and precedent to sell off ancient woodlands. In the global context, it is these sites that inhibit the melt of permafrost which locks away trillions of tons of methane in the Canadian tundra alone. I believe that this is more important than building a few warehouses and supermarkets over the beautiful lakes around Cinderford.  

Yes, after throwing my cap into the ring, I ended up with a bloody nose. However, concerning the overwhelming success of UKIP at all three levels of local Government, they now have a democratic and majority hold on county seats here in the Forest. Therefore we should judge them over the next four years at local level and not in the murk of Westminster, because locally UKIP supported Five Acres Not for Sale (FANS) movement and joined their protest march into Coleford to retain the college; time only will record if they are to become loyal Foresters concerning the land between two rivers.

Finally of course, while I am not happy if this country embraces more right-wing governance any more than I appreciate deceitful attempts to sell off our Statutory and publicly owned Forest, the will of the people must be respected.

– Andrew Gardiner, Ruardean.