On Thursday, January 13, in preparation for the very successful Forest of Dean District Council delegation to the House of Lords, the council members of the delegation met.

We were surprised and concerned that Conservative council leader Peter Amos and chairman Marilyn Smart had decided that they would go on the delegation. Cllr. Amos had done everything he could to scupper the motion from Cllr. Andrew Gardiner that set up the delegation. His and Marilyn Smart's votes against Andrew's motion are now a matter of record.

When other members expressed their concerns that Cllr. Amos would not be, "on message", he feigned great offence saying that as a retired Royal Marines officer he knew how to take orders. He said that it was his only wish now to promote the policy of the council.

It was decided that, in order to preserve the cross-party nature of the delegation, the case to exempt the Forest of Dean from disposal would be made by the invited, (non councillor), experts. The only councillor that would give press interviews would be Andrew Gardiner. Both Peter Amos and Marilyn Smart agreed.

It was on these terms that the other councillors reluctantly agreed to Peter Amos and Marilyn Smart joining the delegation.

After meeting the Lords, the delegation was taking lunch in Baroness Jan Royall's office. Peter Amos was noticeable by his absence. No one, with the exception of Marilyn Smart, knew where he had gone.

It later emerged that Cllr Amos has sneaked off to do a pre-arranged interview with the BBC Politics Show.

In this interview, extracts of which were used by BBC Radio Gloucestershire, Peter Amos peddled the message that everything would be fine, and that the delegation had been successful in promoting the Forest of Dean.

The reality is that unless the Public Bodies Bill is amended to exclude the Forest of Dean from disposal, everything is far from fine. That was the message that the delegation was sent to deliver.

I told Peter Amos, to his face, that I thought his conduct was dishonest, dishonourable and duplicitous. I believe my sentiments are shared by all the other members of the delegation.

– Cllr. Bruce Hogan, Labour and Co-operative Lydbrook and Ruardean, Labour Group Leader Forest of Dean District Council.