Small victory for the Gurkhas

[Prydz]

Gordon Brown's government has suffered a shock defeat in the Commons on its policy of restricting the right of former Gurkhas to settle in the UK.
MPs voted by 267 to 246 in favour of a Lib Dem motion that all Gurkhas be offered an equal right of residence.




http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8023882.stm

That's the final nail in the coffin for me. I'm a member of the Labour party but will not vote for Brown in the next election now.

For those of you who don't know about the Gurkhas there is more information at the following link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2786991.stm

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/start_quote_rb.gif If there was a minute's silence for every Gurkha casualty from World War II alone, we would have to keep quiet for two weeks http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/end_quote_rb.gif


Gurkha Welfare Trust

Britain owes these people a huge debt of honour and it is disgraceful that our Government doesn't immediately acknowledge that and offer them a right of residence here.

Well done to the Lib Dems for bringing this motion and for the Tories for supporting it.

[birddog1]

So they have no problem letting in hordes of radical Islamist but have to vote on whether or not to let in former subjects that served and sacrificed for their nation?

[Marleysdaddy]

So they have no problem letting in hordes of radical Islamist [sic] but have to vote on whether or not to let in former subjects that served and sacrificed for their nation?(emphasis mine)

I think the emphasized portion might be made of straw...

[birddog1]

(emphasis mine)

I think the emphasized portion might be made of straw...

Might be, but it is still pretty **** poor that there is even opposition to letting those brave warriors settle in the country that they have sacrificed their lives for.

By the way do you have any useful commentary to add to this thread or are you just playing the role of internet debate protocol police today?

[Marleysdaddy]

... but it is still pretty **** poor that there is even opposition to letting those brave warriors settle in the country that they have sacrificed their lives for.
I agree
By the way do you have any useful commentary to add to this thread or are you just playing the role of internet debate protocol police today?
I'm policing nothing (though I did forget to point out that the 'radical Islamists' comment was also a red herring).

I'm glad the U.K. is changing policy regarding the Gurkhas.

[Prydz]

So they have no problem letting in hordes of radical Islamist but have to vote on whether or not to let in former subjects that served and sacrificed for their nation?

We don't have "hordes" of islamic nutters, most of the few we do have are home-grown and we have started to deport the worst of those who where born elsewhere.

Also, the Gurkhas are not British subjects but I whole-heartedly agree that it is shameful a Labour government is trying to welsh out of repaying their service.

Well done to the Labour rebels who defied their party's Whips, I wish I lived half a mile up the road so I could vote for Kate Hoey who was one of them.

[CHUG]

Ahhh crap! I find myself in 100% agreement with Prydz.:D

Unfortunately my own spineless MP, Dr Steve Ladyman, toed the party line and voted with the government on this matter. In an e-mail he sent to my wife he claimed that the media had misrepresented the government line, and that the changes proposed would benefit more than 10,000 ex-Gurkhas and their families.

[MrShotShot]

Definitely a smart decision.

No one in their right mind would want a few thousand Gurkhas ****ed at them.

Our politicians get upset over a few teabags - what if you had Kukris flying at you at a rally?

[CHUG]

We e-mailed our local MP, Dr Steve Ladyman (Labour), about this subject. He claims that allowing these Gurkhas to live in the UK would cost £1.4 billion. We've asked him to give us a breakdown of these costs, as of now we haven't received a reply.

Let's say his claim is correct however. Was there ever a greater example of someone knowing the cost of everything, but the value of nothing?