Peter Henley

And thanks for all the fish

Peter Henley BBC News — Thu, 12 May 2011 17:06:05 +0000

From today Henley's Hustings is no more. The BBC has decided to move on from blogs written by your regional political journalists. After nearly 150 missives from me, it feels like a sad day.

Thank you so much for all your comments. At their best it really felt like we were getting to the heart of things that we all cared about - often approaching the subject from different places - but usually respectful and always enlightening.

I will be posting my own thoughts regularly on Twitter - you can follow me by dialling in @BBCPeterH. And there will still be a chance to contribute to stories about the South's politics at my new page that you will be able to find here.

How to be a councillor

Peter Henley BBC News — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:08:58 +0000

Not that easy it seems.

As I scour the nominations on-line one jumps out.

Next to Lindsay Turner's application to be a councillor in the Mudeford and Friar's Cliff ward of Christchurch Borough Council there is a note:

Reason why no longer nominated
Description used does not meet the requirements of Rule 5 (1) of LEPAR 2006

Lindsay's Crime: Where others are described as "The Labour Party Candidate" she has put down "The Candidate for the Labour Party"

Oops!

The Council say that if she hadn't put the nomination in so close to the deadline they could have helped her with the wording...

Double ooops!

Three Conservatives elected unopposed in that ward.

Here's the full list of candidates for Christchurch, East Dorset, North Dorset and Purbeck, more to follow.

Navy and army redundancies come at a difficult time

Peter Henley BBC News — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:25:25 +0000

In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.

When the person you're about to sack is on the front-line in a warzone you have to pick your moment to break the bad news.

The news redundancy announcement includes this extra proviso about when redundancy notices will be served:

"On the date the redundancy notices were issued, no personnel preparing for, deployed on, or returning from combat operations or on post-tour leave will be made compulsorily redundant."

So if you're in sight of bullets, you're at least safe from the P45.

But The Former First Sea Lord Jonathan Band dismisses that particular requirement as the Navy simply playing a game, saying that there would be many sailors at sea today who would learn that their particular branch was in the firing line.

"The Navy has innate, strong guts" he said, "but there will be many people feeling fragile, and some of them will be quite bitter."

Just take a look at the numbers:

Royal Navy: 1,600 redundancies - to include ratings and officers to rank of captain. Officers from engineering, medical, warfare and logistics branches as well as junior and senior ratings from a variety of branches.

They will lose 121 officers in general service, subs and fleet air arm

1,211 junior ratings

274 senior ratings

Up to 15 fixed wing pilots

Sailors have until next month to volunteer for redundancy.

In September, the Ministry of Defence will announce which sailors will be going. Volunteers will serve 6 months notice, while non-volunteers will serve 12 months notice

If 1,600 do not volunteer for redundancy, the navy will enforce compulsory redundancies.

The government's Strategic Defence and Security Review said the navy must lose 5,000 sailors by 2015.

Another tranche of naval redundancies will be announced later this year.

A navy spokesman said a third tranche may be announced in March 2012 if it is required.

By way of a contrast, it's worth comparing the huge efforts being made with the carrier project - a total of 10,000 people building them, including VT/BAE in Portsmouth.

There's an excellent BBC on-line feature here that also points out that 25,000 jobs have been created in making parts for the American F35 planes that will go on it, and many of those are in the South of England.

The Army announced it will make 1,000 redundancies in its first tranche of job cuts, including 150 Gurkhas.

Around 7,000 soldiers will be axed by 2015 in the SDSR.

The Royal Air Force announced plans to lay off 2,700 staff last month in a similarly staggered programme of cuts.

They have won many battles, but it's the accountants who seem to be winning the war.

Alternative voting by Auf Wiedersehn Pet

Peter Henley BBC News — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:50:26 +0000

Back in 1984 there was a debate about voting systems.... on the popular ITV comedy drama Auf Wiedersehn Pet. Take a look at Timothy Spall and the others struggling with the transferrable vote as they try to work out what colour to paint their shed:

Chris Huhne and the Children's Centre petition

Peter Henley BBC News — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:25:08 +0000

It's the squeaky wheel that gets oil. An old saying, but truer than ever with the oil of taxpayers' cash in very short supply.

Save Our Children's Centres in Hampshire have done an admirable job pointing out the impact of up to one third cuts in the budget for Sure Start.

Eastleigh MP, and former journalist Chris Huhne was quick to pick up on their campaign, seeking them out just a few days after the launch to sign their petition.

Was cabinet minister Chris Huhne right to sign this petition?

Any cabinet minister is entitled to campaign against the local impact of his government's own policies, of course, and in this case Chris gave it both barrels - throwing in some local election lines about the Conservative leadership of Hampshire County Council, and the cost of new building at the council.

That provoked their leader Ken Thornber to take to Channel Four news to denounce Chris Huhne but also point out to David Cameron the shortage of cash that was causing their cuts.

Which THEN came full circle at Prime Minister's Questions when the Conservative MP for Gosport Caroline Dinenage asked Mr Cameron to explain what she called 'Unhelpful local party political mischief making over the future of Sure Start' saying.

"Sure Start is too important and valuable to be used as a political football in this way - Hampshire Council are consulting on their proposals but have pledged to protect all frontline services. I for one will be keeping up the pressure on them, every step of the way, to make sure that they do."

She was sitting next to Romsey MP Caroline Noakes - the daughter of Ken Thornber's council rival, Romsey Conservative Ray Perry - who's in charge of the Sure Start cuts.

As I say, it all moves in circles. Expect that squeaky wheel to get some more attention shortly.

How the budget will hit the South of England

Peter Henley BBC News — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:07:42 +0000

The Chancellor's speech is just the start. When the curtain falls on the great unveiling .. "and I commend this budget to the house" .. we press hounds all dash backstage to swoop like gannets on huge brown paper envelopes containing the budget book.

And in our packages today, a surprise - two books! The Red Book we expected but here too was a Green Book entitled The Plan For Growth.

And there's some interesting stuff there for the South. Some of it already announced, it has to be said, but now shown in the full context of George Osborne's tax and spending decisions.

The South-East of England is traditionally an area of high growth - we have more new start-ups and private sector jobs than any other part of the country - so the measures in a "budget for growth" are going to have a bigger impact. The allowances for entrepreneurs and investment as well as ongoing cuts in corporation tax have been welcomed by business representatives.

£20 million for the Space Centre at Harwell, for example . And two previously announced capital projects - the £4.5bn Intercity Express Programme will see the building of a combination of around 100 electric trains and bi-mode intercity trains, which will run to Great Western Main Line stations including Oxford and Reading.

There's also £900m of rail electrification projects on lines between London and Didcot, Newbury and Oxford. This will be completed by 2018.

Welcoming the Budget for the Conservatives, Devizes MP Claire Perry MP said:

"Last year's Emergency Budget brought Britain back from the brink of bankruptcy. The Government is right to stick to the plan to get Britain living within her means and this year's Budget sets out plans to back enterprise and get Britain making things again. By cutting fuel duty immediately and cutting income tax for millions, the Chancellor has done what he can to help families now. This Budget has put fuel into the tank of our economy."

They estimate that by increasing the personal allowance by £630 in April 2012 to £8,105. 3.56 million South East taxpayers will gain by £48 a year in 2012-13, and 32,000 will be taken out of tax altogether.

Working on the regional figures they estimate 3,300 unemployed people in the South East could benefit from the roll-out of the New Enterprise Allowance to start their own business.

From cuts in corporation tax to incentives for philanthropic giving to charity there are measures here that are aimed to boost growth.

But Labour say this is smoke and mirrors.

They say they wouldn't be increasing petrol prices, given the high price at the pumps and point out that in their time in office the proportion of tax fell from 75% in 97 to 65% in 2010.

Nor would they be thinking about cutting the 50p top rate this year.

They believe there is a "quite substantial risk" that oil companies will pass on extra tax at the pumps.

The change to CPI wipes out the freeze in personal allowances. What he gives with one hand he takes with another, and continues to take - up to £1bn p/a by end of parliament and rising.

Southampton MP and shadow Skills and Innovation Secretary John Denham said

"On petrol prices the government should have gone further in this Budget. Across the South East the average cost of a litre of unleaded is now 133.6p - up from 10.9p in December before the Tory VAT rise.
"George Osborne should have listened to Labour and reversed the VAT rise on petrol, which is adding £1.35 to the cost of filling up a 50 litre tank.

For the Liberal Democrats Dorset MP Annette Brooke said

"This Budget not only continues to deliver on our promise of sustainable growth for the UK, but also delivers on the Liberal Democrat commitment to fairness."
"Under the new Budget, 23 million people will have a tax cut of £200 from April this year. The personal income tax allowance rises will lift 1.1 million people out of income tax altogether. I am proud to see this Lib Dem policy becoming a reality under the Coalition Government."

But one area where the South of England may lose out is the new Enterprise Zones.

These offer special tax reliefs, extra revenue for local authorities and support with things like guaranteed super-fast broadband.

All the ten places offered this boost are currently in the North and Midlands, except for Bristol, and today we heard that Boris Johnson is being asked to find one in London.

The new Enterprise partnerships in the South will also be able to bid for a second wave of ten more Enterprise Zones.

The Local Government Association are expressing some fears that these might suck jobs out of neighbouring areas. But what about sucking work from South to North? Or maybe that's a good thing?

Give us a Br(e)ake!

Peter Henley BBC News — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 09:40:24 +0000

Oh how we laugh at some of these pre-budget press-releases. Everyone's an expert. Accountants, PRs , economists all sending out spin about what the Chancellors should do. They mostly go straight in the bin.

But at least we got a chuckle from the spelling mistake in the press-release from Portsmouth Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock's office. Bold as brass, top of the page:

MP says Chancellor should give drinkers, motorists and the tourist industry a brake in this week's budget

Well the high price of fuel has certainly "given motorists a brake" but I think that's not what he's calling for...

The European Parliament from the British perspective

Sue Wilkinson BBC News — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:54:18 +0000

Pin badges in the European Parliament gift shop

There's a gift shop for visitors to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, selling tea towels and cufflinks with the gold stars and blue background of the EU. Pride of place is given to the rack of lapel pins with intertwined European and national flags.

Today you could choose the flags of Spain, or Italy - or France, of course - but they didn't have one for the UK.

"Would you like a pin with the Irish flag?" the assistant asks, in perfect English.

I don't think they'd sold out. To be honest I didn't want to buy one at all, given the Euro exchange rate. I was really just confirming the feeling around here that it is often simply not worth bothering to include Britain in things.

There are visitors to the Parliament from Spain, and Poland and places much further away than the South of England. There are groups of Rotarians, and young mums and a huge herd of farmers from Italy laughing loudly and taking photographs of themselves in front of the magnificent parliament buildings.

But the only people I came across from England were the nine MEPs we elected 18 months ago.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. The majority of votes we cast in the South were for candidates sceptical about the whole European project. From the European constituency of South East England we send five Conservatives, two UKIP, two Lib Dems, one Green, and one Labour MEP.

It's a larger group than many of the small countries, and they have quite a bit of influence.

The Liberal Democrat MEP Sharon Bowles has fast made her name as a financial expert. Labour's Peter Skinner and the Green's Keith Taylor are pursuing their particular interests as is the new girl from Oxford, Catherine Bearder.

This week they've been involved in persuading the new fisheries commissioner to stop the throwing back of dead fish, and find other ways to conserve supplies.

They've complained about French treatment of the Roma peoples who are Europe's largest minority. And they've got a motion through calling for a nifty £50 device to be fitted to all European lorries warning them when a cyclist is alongside.

But the main point of contention is the 2012 budget. Despite the financial problems of Greece, Ireland and Portugal the European Parliament continues to increase spending.

As one of our Conservative MEP's Dan Hannan points out, the exchange rate is against us because we pay our bill in Euros. We've also lost the rebate of £7bn a year we used to get against the Common Agriculture and Fishery Policies, without the reform of the system we were promised.

Estimates for how much we pay to Europe range from the EU's £200 each to the Taxpayers' Alliance of £1,000 plus. It depends whether you include things like the additional cost of European regulation on British business.

And how do you quantify the extra trade? The think tank Civitas reckon about half of our exports go to the European Union, but Switzerland does well with a Free Trade Association rather than full harmonisation.

They're all things we could debate, if we ever got a referendum on Europe - something Dan Hannan suggests will be much more likely once we've held the vote on changing the voting system in May.

As David Miliband pointed out this week, for the first time since the First World War most major European governments come from the centre-right of politics. And yet it struck me just how much the EU institutions continue to expand, and charge us more for our membership.

My first report for the television will be on this Sunday's Politics Show. I talked to UKIP's Marta Andreasen, a former Chief Accountant of the EU, and Lib Dem Catherine Bearder - not just about EU money but that decision in the European Court that men and women must be treated equally for car insurance and pensions.

What does that tell us about the direction that we are travelling? Have we given up too much control, or is it right to be part of a joint quest for the better things in life?

It's not just about the money. This week at the European Court of Human Rights (the ones who want us to allow prisoners to get the vote) there was a moving case of a 31 year old mother from Slovakia who'd been sterilised - she says against her will.

She comes from a Roma background, and under communism in her country there was a policy to use sterilisation to reduce the Roma population. One survey showed 60% of all such operations were carried out on Roma people. This woman was put in a "gypsy-only" ward, forbidden to use toilets available to other women.

It beggars belief that such a policy could be continuing in the modern EU, yet strong criticism of France's immigration policy towards the Roma people was another hot topic in the Strasbourg parliament this week.

Hungary's President Pal Schmitt was visiting today. On the Politics Show this week we will be reporting the next stage of Michael Turner's fight for justice after he was extradited to Hungary under the European Arrest Warrant and held in prison for four months because his business owed money.

Our rights have been won at some cost, and should not be regarded lightly.

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity to you all. We certainly should be paying attention to what they're doing in Brussels and Strasbourg in our names.

Perhaps a few more visitors to the Parliament from Britain might persuade them to take more notice of British arguments, and then we could have our own pin badge.

Quirky spending cuts - our top ten

Peter Henley BBC News — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:24:55 +0000

Some of the strangest spending cuts in the South of England...

At Number One it has to be Southampton City Council saving 10 grand by not binning the bins, or as they put it: "keeping slightly damaged refuse collection containers."

Dorset County Council's big streetlight switch-off is at Number Two. It saves a mammoth £150,000 from the electricity bill, but will there be more accidents?

Saving pounds by spending a penny - at Number Three it's the Isle of Wight Council's plan to hand over 18 of its 60 public conveniences to volunteers.

Where there's muck - Portsmouth is saving £5,000 a year at Number Four by not fertilising sports pitches.

At Number Five Oxford City Council is asking people who use bowling greens to do the mowing themselves.

And Reading has two grass related cuts - at Number Six they've reduced the trimming of roadside verges from 10 to five times a year to save £80,000.

At Number Seven they're saving £35,000 replacing seasonal bedding with low-maintenance shrubs or grass.

Worthing Council has hit a snag with Number Eight. Passing on the management costs of sponsoring roundabouts has cut their income - doh!

But surely the quirkiest quirky cut - at Number Nine Southampton crematoriums aiming to save £30,000 by "using gas more efficiently"...

...Well, you can't take it with you.

and Number Ten?

Sorry, we're having to make efficiency savings. Please add your own Number Ten below...

Digital democracy and social media

Peter Henley BBC News — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:08:36 +0000

Footage of protests filmed on mobile phones has been fed back to the world by satellite TV

When they write the history of the fall of Arab rulers in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya there will be a big chapter on the role of Facebook and Twitter.

Whether it's organising rallies, or simply raising spirits after years of suffering, the Arab youth and middle-classes have found their conversations on social media have given them the courage to overthrow their rulers.

So what is the equivalent here?

The e-petitions site on the No 10 website became a laughing stock, but attracted a great deal of traffic. There's a plan to give it teeth by forcing the House of Commons to debate anything with more than 100,000 people giving the subject support, which is still in the pipeline.

If you're interested in that stuff, have a look at this alternative. A site called Direct Democracy set up by one person, frustrated that he had no way to call politicians to account.

We in the traditional media can feel a little threatened by all this 'cutting out the middle-man'. But any journalist worth their salt has always kept their ear to the ground, aiming to be more of a conduit for opinion than handing out tablets from on high.

In which spirit I offer you some thought provoking ideas from a recent correspondent, Andy Taylor, who lives in West Sussex.

Mr Taylor is a keen viewer of programmes such as The Politics Show, Question Time etc but says: "I fortunately don't have any particular political persuasions so can view our political system in a much more rational way than most."

What do you think of his ideas, below? As usual - your own thoughts in the form of a comment left via the BBC system - will further the cause of digital democracy!

"At election time, why not allow any group, or combination of groups, present detailed manifestos covering their proposals for how they would conduct themselves if elected and give each one an equal amount of national media investigation/coverage. Notice I have said 'group' instead of 'political party'. I think the word 'politics' has become almost taboo amongst voters...

"At the election every voter in the country would get one vote and the group with the most votes 'counted nationally' would be elected. Their job is now simple, no opposition, just 'Execute their Manifesto' as presented, in detail, and previously supported by a majority vote. We now have what we voted for. A governing body all agreed on one clear plan, K.P.I's for us to monitor progress, direct accountability as there will be no excuses for not doing as promised, and most of all much greater government productivity due to less time being spent producing hot air during endless non productive debates/discussions.

"Local authorities would become non-political, have a plan to follow and be measured against it. This has got to be better for all than what we have at present and, if you think about it, could be done without risking our freedom, individuality, national identity, security, or anything else. I don't know about you but the present seems to have a smell of 'Animal Farm' about it. You know, 'we're all in it together, but some of you are more in it together than others'.

Is this a post-political age taking shape?

Portsmouth MP Mike Hancock in paedophile slur

Peter Henley BBC News — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 18:38:34 +0000

The Portsmouth MP arriving at court today

When you put your head above the parapet of public life someone is bound to take a few potshots at you. But every politician knows that the sound of gunfire looks bad, and often attracts more trouble.

Portsmouth Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock has taken a few cracks lately. Labelled Red Mike in the press after his Russian assistant Katia Zatuliveter was arrested for deportation as a risk to national security.

A string of extra-marital affairs paraded through the papers. Falling out with his own party over their part in the coalition. And now possibly the most foul accusation - accused of being a paedophile in a court case.

The Judge even insisted that Mr Hancock had to attend in person to give evidence, but today he faced his critics with some bravery.

It's not him on trial - a man who's accused of running a smear campaign that amounts to a vendetta is charged with offences under the Representation of the People's Act. Les Cummins has pleaded not guilty - ensuring a three day trial where he can call witnesses to make his case.

Red Handkerchief

So Mike Hancock, with his trademark red handkerchief in top pocket and a spotted tie had to enter the witness box to endure a humiliating cross-examination.

Giving evidence Mr Hancock said it was "absolutely not" true he was a paedophile.

"I'm horrified that anyone could make it (the allegation)."

Asked by Alison Morgan, prosecuting: "How did you feel about that suggestion?", Mr Hancock replied: "sickened."

The Liberal Democrat went on to deny other allegations in the leaflet that he had an affair with a 14-year-old girl he had been seen in a casino with, or that he had been seen in bed with children while on charity work in Romania with Mencap in the 1990s.

"Impossible and untrue," He said. "That's really offensive to people I have worked with and to me."

He also denied being corrupt and associating with known criminals. "I know lots of people but I do not associate myself with known criminals. I do not ask people who come into my office if they have a criminal record,"

Mobile phone

The Portsmouth MP was given permission to check his mobile phone during his
evidence as his mother is seriously ill.

He's having a very tough time of it, but he's told me he's determined to keep fighting - that this case was his chance to bring things to a head with a man who's been relentlessly pursuing him.

Oh No! The Cerne Abbas Giant will say Yes!

Peter Henley BBC News — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:22:53 +0000

Artists impression of the Giant

They wanted to launch with a bang... And you certainly get that with Dorset's Cerne Abbas Giant. This is the initial impact that the Yes! campaign is planning to get the public behind their campaign to change the voting system.

Quite how they plan to add the speech bubble isn't yet clear, but a helicopter has been chartered to give photographers and film crews the best possible view of the Giant.

I'm told that the chopper is poised for the moment that the Parliamentary Bill gets Royal Assent. Local campaigner Billy Bragg is promised for the photocall. Being Billy, he can choose where he stands for the picture.

So what can the No! campaign do to match the expected level of public arousal? It seems Esther Rantzen is a backer. What are the possibilities to promote "first-past-the-post?"

Yes, I am being provocative, but I think you will rise to the occasion. Suggestions below please.

The Vince Cable apprentice: "You're hired!"

Peter Henley BBC News — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:58:05 +0000

Lord Sugar's catchphrase for the TV series The Apprentice was "You're fired!" But Vince Cable wants to stand that on its head.

EDF Apprentices Will Vickers and Jordan Crowe

The Business Secretary said he was inspired by the energy and enthusiasm of the apprentices he met in Hampshire today. They've been taken on by Network Rail and the energy company EDF, gaining two years basic engineering training at the Navy's HMS Sultan alongside work on real railways and power stations.

"As a country we're very short of engineers," he said. "Foreign investors coming to Britain often make that point. We need to do more on skilled training, but a lot of private companies will see this as being in their own interests."

With £1.4 billion of government money he says the the real life apprentice is now more likely to hear that they're "hired" - or are they?

In the South of England the demand for apprenticeships far exceeds supply. Here's the county by county table for applications and opportunities:

Tonight on South Today Rachel McKellar of the National Apprenticeship Service - who provided the figures - said that businesses see apprentices as a good investment: "Apprentices are more motivated, more loyal and more productive" but she agreed that for them to provide opportunities they needed to have confidence in the economy.

The Southampton MP John Denham is Vince Cable's Labour Shadow. Whilst acknowledging the continuing level of investment in apprentices, he questioned the coalition's commitment, saying, "They are ending the guaranteed apprenticeship for every 16-18 year old who wants one. Labour accepts the need to make savings in the wider adult skills budget, but taking away training from more than 500,000 people a year - as the government are doing - is an example of this Tory-led government going too far and too fast."

How to set up a Free School

Peter Henley BBC News — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 20:26:35 +0000

Berkshire's aptly named Eaton Family explain their plans: The Daily Politics is following their progress.

Root and branch reform of the forest

Peter Henley BBC News — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 12:03:12 +0000

So the New Forest escapes the sell-off. But will that be enough to satisfy the concerns of the Verderers - ancient protectors of the forest - and local people?

The new National Park Authority felt the full force of local feeling when they tried to turn over a new leaf in this ancient landscape, axeing long-held traditions.

The dog walkers, in particular, proved their bark and bite was more vicious than anything on four legs taken for a walk in the enclosures.

The New Forest Association's William Ziegler described the plans as "appalling".

"This new threat is the most serious attack on the New Forest for 160 years. Any charity that takes on owning and managing the New Forest will be required to find its own funding after initial government help to offset the £2.9m annual deficit. This could mean charging the public for access to the New Forest and will almost certainly involve selling off parts of the estate which currently provide the cornerstone of commoning."

But his local Conservative MPs have slightly divergent opinions.

New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne is all for it. The plan could bring in more money and make things run better, he reckons.

But the New Forest East MP Dr Julian Lewis prefers the motto "if it ain't broke don't fix it", saying "The New Forest is delicate and precious. It's only just become a National Park. I will be consulting with the many people in my constituency who have a great deal of wisdom about the forest."

Ok not quite at loggerheads (boom, boom) but a sign of possible discord to come.

Meon Valley's George Hollingberry started off expressing concern , but now is happy with the guarantees of resident's rights, saying:

"I now fully support the plan, especially as it gives the chance for local groups to take over. In the Meon Valley this has been very successful with Park Wood in Cowplain a real local asset successfully run by volunteers. "
"The plans could now allow another piece of woodland, Queen's Inclosure, just over the road from Park Wood to be run by local people."

Today the Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said disposing of the lands would enable the government and the Forestry Commission to focus on their most important roles.

"State control of forests dates back to World War I, when needs were very different. There's now no reason for the government to be in the business of timber production and forest management. "
"It's time for the government to step back and allow those who are most involved with England's woodlands to play a much greater role in their future... and we will make sure that public access is maintained and biodiversity protected."

But the documents suggest that the Forestry Commission could lose 80 percent of their staff if the sell-off goes through. They'll be reduced to a rump of their former selves, mostly administering the leases to charities or businesses who have taken over day-to-day management.

The map they released today shows just how much forest is being transferred. Click here to look. The blue is protected, heritage land in the New Forest and South Downs. The red and green areas may be taken over.

The forests may be tranquil, but there's a wind of change blowing through.