Gurkhas 'three cheers' for MP
September 16, 2008 12:00 AM
Retired Gurkha soldiers gave "three cheers to Bob Russell MP" at a fringe meeting at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Bournemouth.
Their shouts of appreciation for the Colchester MP were in recognition of the leading role which Mr Russell has played in Parliament in seeking a better deal for retired Gurkha soldiers both for those who have returned to Nepal and those who have sought to live in the UK.
In May Mr Russell put forward a 10-Minute Rule Bill in the House of Commons which would give Gurkhas who retired from the Army before 1997 the right to live in the UK. In July he pursued the matter with an Oral Question to the Immigration Minister in the Commons.
The Government has so far said that only soldiers who have left the Army after 1997 can apply to remain in the UK.
Mr Russell said that the Gurkhas had a special place in the heart of the British people, and he felt that those who wished to remain in the UK should be allowed to do so. He is also supporting calls to give retired Gurkhas who have returned to Nepal a better pension.
At the end of his speech a packed gathering of retired Gurkhas and their wives, and supporters of the campaign, gave Mr Russell a rousing "three cheers" - a gesture which he said had taken him by surprise, and which had touched him deeply.
Over the years Gurkhas have been based at the Colchester Garrison, and some retired Gurkhas live in the town.
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