Big boost for MP's Gurkha campaign
November 4, 2008 12:00 AM
Colchester MP Bob Russell's campaign on behalf of retired Gurkha soldiers got a huge boost today when the Home Affairs Select Committee - of which he is a member - called on the Government to allow former Gurkhas to live in the UK.
Earlier this year Mr Russell put forward a Bill which would allow Gurkhas who retired before 1997 to live in this country, a right which the Government has already extended to Gurkhas who retire from the Army after 1997. Today's decision by the Home Affairs Select Committee is in agreement with what Mr Russell's Bill called for.
And in a further move today, Liberal Democrat Mr Russell was elected Vice-Chairman at the inaugural meeting of All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gurkhas Rights.
Mr Russell is a leading champion for the rights of former Gurkha soldiers, and at Parliamentary level this included not only his Bill but also Questions including one as recently as July when he challenged the Government as to why it treated former Gurkha soldiers differently with those who retired before 1997 treated differently to those who retired after 1997. He also hosted a fringe meeting for Gurkhas at this year's Liberal Democrat Party Conference.
This afternoon Mr Russell said: "We are clearly winning the campaign. The High Court in September ruled against the Government's discrimination of pre-1997 Gurkhas, and today's unanimous decision by the Home Affairs Select Committee will be a further powerful call to the Government to stop the discrimination. It is my hope that the reasons I put forward in my Bill will now be adopted by the Government. I shall be pushing for this in the forthcoming Queen's Speech setting out the Parliamentary business for the next year."
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