Local MP Alex Cunningham has welcomed today’s news that the Tory-led Government has been forced to think again about plans to sell off English Forests.
Last week Alex spoke out in the House of Commons during a debate on the future of English Forests, pointing out that the Forestry Commission owns more than 67,000 hectares of Forest in the North East which would be put at risk thanks to the Government’s plans.
Today, Alex spoke of his delight that the well-organised campaign against the Government’s plans has forced them into a humiliating U-Turn:
“I received a torrent of emails from people in Stockton North who were outraged by the Tory-led Government’s plans to sell off Forests and spoke out against these plans in the House of Commons last week.”
“The Government has been forced to put these plans on hold after it faced uproar from members of the public. This is just another example of how out-of-touch this Government is. I am just pleased the hard-work of campaigners, including those on Teesside, has paid off.”