The Labour Party candidate for the Forest of Dean, Matt Bishop, has been welcoming high profile visitors who are endorsing his campaign, and the latest is Baroness Jan Royall of Blaisdon. She grew up in Newnham on Severn and Blaisdon and served as Labour Leader of the House of Lords. She is currently the Principal of Sommerville College at Oxford University.

“Under fourteen long years of Tory rule, life has got more and more difficult for people in the Forest,” Jan said. “The cost of living crisis means that everyone is struggling to pay their bills, they can’t get a GP appointment, they can’t even find an NHS dentist, their kids are going to schools which are desperately in need of more teachers and they can’t get their little ones into a nursery. We need a Labour MP who understands these problems, who really wants to serve our community and be our voice in Parliament.”

Matt and Jan canvassed parts of Mitcheldean and received a positive reception on the doorsteps.

“It was fantastic to meet up in Mitcheldean with Jan,” Matt said. “We discussed a number of issues including the NHS, Education, and of course, our beautiful Forest of Dean.”

The Forest is a very special place for Jan. She was very prominent in the campaign to save the Forest from being privatised by the Coalition government of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats under David Cameron and Nick Clegg.

“We are so fortunate to live in our beautiful Forest of Dean but must never forget that the Tories tried to sell off our forests and woodlands,” Jan said. “A Labour Government will protect these glorious spaces which keep us healthy through recreation, provide a vital habitat for wildlife and plants and help reduce the effects of climate change by locking up carbon.”

It’s important to Matt and his family too. “I will continue to fight to keep the Forest public and not privatised, and protect it, so that we can all continue to enjoy the walks, bike rides, picnics and the wildlife that the Forest has to offer,” he said.

As we enter the second half of campaigning, various new tactical voting sites nationally have been launching their recommendations.

“Get Voting, Tactical Vote and all others confirm what we’ve been saying, that Labour is the tactical vote here in the Forest of Dean” said Matt Bishop.

Other high-profile visitors will be in the constituency before the General Election campaign ends. Later this week Mick Whelan, the General Secretary of the rail union ASLEF, that represents train drivers, will be here to talk about Labour’s plans to renationalise the railways.

“I’m sure that Foresters will welcome the support of people like Jan Royall who has fought so hard to protect this area, and many will back Labour’s policy of renationalising the railways over the next five years,” Matt said. “I’m looking forward to welcoming Mick Whelan and hearing what he has to say.”