NEWS of our Forest's plight is reaching influential ears in Westminster.

Yesterday morning, HOOF's Nigel Costley and James Greenwood joined national Save Our Forests campaigners outside the Houses of Parliament, where they met with Green MP Caroline Lucas and Labour's Sir Peter Soulsby MP, who sits on Defra's Select Committee.

forests-campaign) has now been signed by 90,000 people, and the 38 Degrees team says it wants to use HOOF as a flagship local campaign.

Nigel Costley said: "There is growing recognition of the threat to our forests from privatisation, especially to the Forest of Dean. We are winning allies across the political spectrum and among all lovers of our woodland treasures."

Baroness Jan Royall was too busy in the House of Lords to attend the gathering, but she is mustering support from celebrities and bishops, as well as peers such as Lord Clark, former chair of the Forestry Commission, and Baroness Fritchie of Gloucester.

Lord Denis Healey, whose late wife Edna was born and bred in Coleford, is sending a message to HOOF's January 3 Speech House rally.

The 93-year-old former Chancellor of the Exchequer told The Forester he has visited the Forest many times.

Lord Healey said: "The Forest has been very well looked after in public hands and the whole Forest should remain in public hands for all time. The Forest of Dean is one of the most remarkable landscape areas in the country."

Baroness Healey died in July, aged 92.

Richard Wilson, best known for his role as Victor Meldrew in TV's One Foot In The Grave, but more recently as Gaius in the BBC series Merlin, which was filmed in the Forest, will also send a message of support to the rally. In 2009, the actor filmed an episode of Britain's Great Drives in the Dean.

Baroness Royall has now persuaded Bishop Michael of Gloucester to join the HOOF chorus, and other influential clergymen.

She said: "I was at an Advent service at Lambeth Palace when the Bishop of Guildford said 'HOOF!' very loudly in my ear. He said he lived in the Forest and very much backed our campaign. The Archbishop of Canterbury overheard this and gave me a nod and a wink – it's good to see we have God on our side!"

Forestry consultant David Taylor, who unsuccessfully stood for verderer last year, has two articles published in the December edition of the national Forestry Journal.

In one article, the insider reveals Defra Minister Jim Paice wants to sell off ALL State-owned forests during the next four years, and the Public Bodies Bill will enable him to do so. The Bill's forestry clauses will be examined by the Lords committee early in 2011.

Mr Taylor, who recently moved to Westbury-on-Severn from the Cotswolds, believes a sell-off would be a good thing.

In the article he concludes: "Let's embrace change, welcome in new money, new imagination, new methods... The bailiffs are about to move in on a bankrupt sector."