The Gurkhas are coming
The campaign by Joanna Lumley and the Gurkha Welfare Association has been just brilliant.
What's more, it has been one of those issues in which the public have been engaged and I have received personally more emails and letters than on any other issue in recent times.
The background was simple; all previous Governments had totally refused the right of Gurkhas to retire to the UK. Up until 1997 only five had ever been allowed to settle here. The logic was that they were members of the British Army but serving overseas and had no residential connection with the UK and indeed remained citizens of Nepal.
In 1997 the Brigade of Gurkhas moved from Hong Kong to the UK and thus Gurkhas were serving in the UK. The new Labour Government therefore agreed that Gurkhas retiring after 1997 should have a right of residence and some 6,000 Gurkhas and their families have done so.
The campaign then asked that those who had served before that date be treated equally, and whilst the 'residence' argument was a real one, the British public took a different view.
It was clear that the Government were not opposed to the settlement of Gurkhas but needed a pragmatic response given that some 80,000 individuals could be eligible if there was no restriction.
In April the Government decided to also offer rights of residence to (a) those that had served for more than 15 years, (b) had received gallantry medals or (c) had been injured whilst on active service. But the British public said that was not enough and Parliament said so too.
On Thursday I am pleased to say that democracy had it's way when the Government agreed that all Gurkhas and their families who had served for more than four years (and that's most of them) should now have a right to settle in the UK.
It was possible to reach that decision due to the cooperation of the Gurkha Welfare Associations who have agreed to work with Government departments to ensure that Gurkhas coming to the UK receive a proper welcome. There will be implications for the public purse as some (not all) will be dependent on our social welfare system but that I think is a contract that the British people have clearly accepted. It is also helpful that whilst there are 80,000 eligible to come under this arrangement the welfare associations have suggested that probably no more than 10,000 former Gurkhas will take up the offer. If that is right then that is well within the Government's ability to manage.
In any event this is a Government responding to public opinion and it is right to do so.
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Weather for Hastings
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North west
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Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North west
