Justice for Ghurkas

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending an all party meeting to promote a Bill in Parliament which, if passed, would confer upon retired Ghurkas the right to live in the UK. The meeting was graced by the presence of two winners of the Victoria Cross from the Burma campaign in the second world war.

Amazingly, this distinguished and heroic group of soldiers did not have any right to settle here until the Blair government granted the right to those who had retired after 1997. The Bill which is now in Parliament and which enjoys wide cross-party support would confer the right upon all retired Ghurkas, no matter when their date of retirement may have occurred.

The actress Joanna Lumley has been very active in this campaign, and has organised a petition on the website http://www.gurkhajustice.org.uk/

I would strongly urge that anyone reading this note should both sign the petition and encourage others to do so.

David Schmitz