[Otebo]

The government is planning a massive sell off of our national forests. They could be auctioned and fenced off, run down, logged or turned into golf courses and holiday villages.

We can't let that happen. We need to stop these plans. National treasures like the The Forest of Dean, Sherwood Forest and The New Forest could be sold off. Once they are gone, they will be lost forever.

For those in the UK, 38 Degrees are running a very worthy campaign to prevent ConDem plans to sell our publicly owned forests. A YouGov poll found 84% of the British public opposed what is essentially flogging our national heritage to the highest bidder, and studies have suggested it might even end up costing us more money than it saves.

http://38degrees.org.uk/pages/save_our_ ... ion_centre

On Friday night a Conservative junior minister (a Forest of Dean MP) was pelted with eggs and had to be escorted away under police protection during a public meeting at which he was defending the plans. If you haven't the time to attack your local Tory/Liberal MP, signing the petition will do.

[eugenekop]

What a great idea to sell forests. Hail Britain, one of the leaders in free market economy in the world!

Anyway, sorry for interrupting. Please do continue your campaign to encourage inefficiencies...

[SomeRandom]

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements:
'Publicly owned forests and woodlands should be kept in public ownership for future generations.'
58% Strongly agree
26% Tend to agree
8% Neither agree nor disagree
6% Don't know
2% Tend to disagree.

Those must be some encouraging figures for you championers of the free-market - not so much for the Tories though, as they're facing such intense opposition over it they're likely to u-turn on it anyday now. No wonder lolbertarians are conflicted about democracy.

[SomeRandom]

Cameron 'to abandon plans to change forest ownership'

Ministers are preparing to ditch controversial plans to sell thousands of acres of state-owned woodland in England, the BBC understands[...]

[Otebo]

Huzzah for common sense. If only the Keep the Post Public campaign could be this successful, this quickly

"Today the air is filled with the sound of chickens coming home to roost. The secretary of state has discovered that her first priority – delivering the 30% cut which she inflicted on her department – has a hefty political price attached to it.

Half a million people have marched, mountain biked and petitioned against her sale of the century. They objected to the once in a lifetime offer to buy something that they already collectively own.

Can I conclude by congratulating the environment secretary on one thing? She is probably the only cabinet minister in living memory to have united the Socialist Workers' party and the National Trust in opposition to her plans."