Last week the government announced an humiliating u-turn on its plans to sell off  Britain’s forests. This followed over 500,000 people signing an online petition against  the proposals and over 100,000 people contacting their MPs to register opposition to the plans.

I and the rest of the Lib Dem councillors on Test Valley Borough Council all backed the petition and we were planning to raise the matter at this Friday’s council meeting calling on the council and our local MPs to support the opposition to the plan.

Our motion is still on the table for discussion but given the government’s admission of defeat I will be suggesting the motion is not debated. We’ve won the battle – no need to kick the defeated enemy when they’ve surrendered.

For full details of the government’s climb down see http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2011/02/17/victory-government-to-scrap-plans-to-sell-our-forests/