UK - Gurkhas to be given equal right of residence

[JG271]

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

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.

A good day for democracy in my opinion. I'm very glad that parties could come together on this issue, even a few labour backbenchers managed to think with their consciences instead of their careers!

[arkitect]

This has been a very long time coming.
Very happy to see this. :)

[Eraserhead]

Good to see this.

[remmy]

Very happy to see this, hope they get what they have been campaigning for. Our government is such an embarrassment.

[Kardashian]

I'm probably gonna get this ripped out of me but.. who are the Gurkhas and what purpose does this serve?

Are they people recruited by our army, from Nepal, who were sent back home after they'd served their purpose?

I've just skimmed Google.

[Peterkro]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigade_of_Gurkhas

[mcnicks]

This was not a vote on a piece of legislation; it was a vote on an opposition motion, so the Gurkhas are no better off. However, the carried motion should embarrass the government into redrafting its policy.

[Kardashian]

Thank you :)

That was a lot better than the Wiki article I pulled up.

A good move, for sure.

How the country lets in some of the riff raff it does, but not these people who have honourably served us I don't know.

[mkrishnan]

Very nicely done, UK MPs. :) The Gurkhas and their bravery are very well respected in India as well.

[leekohler]

I'm probably gonna get this ripped out of me but.. who are the Gurkhas and what purpose does this serve?

Are they people recruited by our army, from Nepal, who were sent back home after they'd served their purpose?

I've just skimmed Google.

I didn't know either. Just like I didn't know what a chav was for the longest time.

[Kardashian]

I didn't know either. Just like I didn't know what a chav was for the longest time.

Oh :) that makes me feel better. If an opinionated gentleman like yourself can get lost in certain matters, so can I.

Although, since I'm British, maybe I was expected to know. I can't help but know what a chav is, unfortunately. But I think they're a dying breed.

[leekohler]

Oh :) that makes me feel better. If an opinionated gentleman like yourself can get lost in certain matters, so can I.

Although, since I'm British, maybe I was expected to know. I can't help but know what a chav is, unfortunately. But I think they're a dying breed.

If I ever get over there, you guys will have to point one out to me. Don't they keep them in zoos now? :)

[kastenbrust]

If I ever get over there, you guys will have to point one out to me. Don't they keep them in zoos now? :)

Trust me, one will point themselves out to you, thats the whole point :p

Its actually embarassing the way the Government handled this, im not sure how many people saw the previous guidelines but they said a Gurkha could live in the UK after 20 years service, but the maximum any Gurkha is allowed to serve is 15 years (18 to 33) so it was just stupid. I think we should deport Gordon Brown to make room for these new citizens. On his salary we could pay for around 100 to live here, and i'd honestly consider that a better trade off.

[edesignuk]

Good to see. I can't quite believe we were going to be refusing many of them the right to stay here.

They fought for us for crying out loud. Let them be. They're far more deserving of some state benefits than most.

[iBlue]

... I can't help but know what a chav is, unfortunately. But I think they're a dying breed.
With any luck. ;)

</tongue firmly in cheek>


On topicly - Very good news about the Gurkhas.

[Kardashian]

With any luck. ;)

</tongue firmly in cheek>
It's not until you've been heckled at by a yellow fingered, greasy haired, gold studded chav, smelling of last nights 'bird' with his hands down his Adidas trackies that you really feel British! ;)

[barkmonster]

Good news for the Gurkhas. I've never understood the idea why someone who's put their life on the line for the country isn't allowed to live here.

It's not until you've been heckled at by a yellow fingered, greasy haired, gold studded chav, smelling of last nights 'bird' with his hands down his Adidas trackies that you really feel British! ;)

Maybe with a bit of joint international pressure, once Guantanamo Bay closes, we can have all the Chavs shipped over there while we campaign to have them officially classified as Neanderthals, have their human rights completely revoked based on that ruling and then fire up the "Equilibrium" inspired furnaces to aid in their retirement.

It can only lead to a higher average global intelligence quota. World peace would follow eventually too :p

[BoyBach]

I think today's Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article6194536.ece) put it perfectly:

In insisting that Britain has neither the room nor deep enough pockets to offer a berth to all former Gurkhas who have fought for this country - and been ready to die for it - the Government has behaved like Oscar Wilde's cynic: a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. To anyone but an accountant or a Home Office statistician, the response to the request from retired Gurkhas to be allowed to settle in Britain if they wish has never been a question of costs or of immigration, but a question of moral responsibility, justice and basic decency.

[jarjarblinks]

I served shoulder to shoulder with these legendary fighting warriors before.

It's, amazing. They all possess this deep well of reserve inside them that makes them surmount almost all, if not all, obstacles in their way. Besides this ability of legendary physical endurance, what impresses me most about them is the sense of chivalry and stoic tolerance. Nothing fazes them. When the odds are down, they just pick themselves up and carry on. Their reason for living seems to be, just being glad that they are still around now, and no matter what is thrown at them, it IS A BONUS STILL to even be around in this world.

Their respect for fellow military men and civilians alike is gratifying. There is alot we can learn from them, humility wise. There are definitely a special breed of people.