Gordon Brown promises Home Secretary Statement on Gurkhas tomorrow

At Prime Ministers Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday lunchtime, Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised a statement on a new policy on Gurkha settlement rights by the Home Secretary on Thursday 21st May.

A number of press reports today have suggested that the Government will grant equal settlement rights to all ex-Gurkhas. The move would come following years of campaigning by the Gurkha Justice Campaign which has been fighting on this for years, led by Joanna Lumley, Shepway Councillor Peter Carroll, lawyers from Howe & Sons and other campaigners from Shepway and beyond.

A few weeks ago, a Lib Dem motion calling for fair settlement rights for all Gurkhas was won in the House of Commons, forcing the Government to backtrack on a previous decision to restrict settlement rights to only a very limited number of Gurkhas who retired pre-1997.

Shepway Gurkha Justice Campaigner Tim Prater commented:

"The media reports look good, but we're all holding our breath to see what the Government will actually say.

"We don't want a fudge, fix or deal. We want a straightforward statement that gives fair settlement rights to all Gurkhas. After so many disappointments from this Government on Gurkha rights in recent years and months, we hope for the best tomorrow, and that we can finally see justice done."