Gurkha's

[Bennett]

quite interesting, you can fight for this country but not stay here. what a lovely country we are


joanna lumley defending gurkha's
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8014265.stm

government repost
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8016242.stm

[swindon_chick]

Utterly discrasful in my opinion. They have fought for OUR country for the last 200 odd years and are not entitiled to some rights?  I think its awful that we let all these imigrants in and these days they seem to have more rights than most people....I hope Mr Brown seriously reconsiders.

[Luci]

I have just been reeling after seeing this on the news.  Our government/country whoever is responsible is a disgrace.  This is one cause which I would fully support wholeheartedly.

[pauld]

The whole thing smacks of sheer vindictiveness on the part of civil servants/ministers smarting at losing in court. Considering the amount of money they've blown on bailing out fucked up bankers, their own expenses, stupid ID card schemes that will never work anyway, failed NHS computer systems etc etc etc, the amount required to allow all the pre-97 Gurkhas who wish to settle here to do so (a few thousand at most) is peanuts. They should be utterly utterly ashamed of themselves, recognise they've got this badly wrong and just allow all those who've risked their lives for our country equal rights with the post-97 Gurkhas and Commonwealth soldiers. Then they can start looking at ways to make stuff like the Help for Heroes thing tomorrow unnecessary by properly supporting injured ex-servicemen of whatever nationality.

If they're strapped for cash to pay for it, they can start by putting a levy on failed bankers' pensions and taking back their bonuses. Fred Goodwin's pension should pay for the whole lot of the Gurkhas for a start. (And yes I know this probably isn't legally viable but it's shit like this that makes you ashamed of your country's priorities)

[Peter Venkman]

They are willing to put their life on the line to protect OUR countries interests then they should have the same rights as any British soldier IMO.

[Ardiles]

We have a large Nepalese population living in the area - a legacy of the Gurkhas having been based up the road in Aldershot.  Those I've met have been friendly, courteous.  This whole episode has been a huge embarrassment, the only consolation being that the Gurkhas are well aware that public opinion, by & large, is one their side.  I can see this being overturned at some point soon.

[flammableBen]

I used to hate Gherkins but now I think they're ace.

[Sippo]

quite interesting, you can fight for this country but not stay here. what a lovely country we are

yet they let people who are trying to blow our country up stay.

[yeo]

Ah but who would win in a fight  Rambo or 2 Gurkhas?

[Talk Talk]

I used to hate Gherkins but now I think they're ace.

Sorry, that is not possible. In the same way that Chalkie's Shorts is a tomatoist, I am a gherkinist.

Eat one and you will die a horrible, horrible death. You would turn inside out and all of your gooey bits would spill onto the floor.

[leefer]

Ime into Olives at the moment...not literally.

[Talk Talk]

Ime into Olives at the moment...not literally.

The food of the gods.

Black or green? My personal favourites are Greek Kalamatas. Yum.

[leefer]

Green..not to salty dipped in garlic and parsley.

[Talk Talk]

Here's a petition worth signing:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/please-go/

[ghanimah]

The whole thing smacks of sheer vindictiveness on the part of civil servants/ministers smarting at losing in court. Considering the amount of money they've blown on bailing out fucked up bankers, their own expenses, stupid ID card schemes that will never work anyway, failed NHS computer systems etc etc etc, the amount required to allow all the pre-97 Gurkhas who wish to settle here to do so (a few thousand at most) is peanuts. They should be utterly utterly ashamed of themselves, recognise they've got this badly wrong and just allow all those who've risked their lives for our country equal rights with the post-97 Gurkhas and Commonwealth soldiers. Then they can start looking at ways to make stuff like the Help for Heroes thing tomorrow unnecessary by properly supporting injured ex-servicemen of whatever nationality.

If they're strapped for cash to pay for it, they can start by putting a levy on failed bankers' pensions and taking back their bonuses. Fred Goodwin's pension should pay for the whole lot of the Gurkhas for a start. (And yes I know this probably isn't legally viable but it's shit like this that makes you ashamed of your country's priorities)

Not Labour's fault but an EU Directive Paul, this one:

EC Directive 2003/109/EC

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2004:016:0044:0053:EN:PDF

Ghurkas who were based in Britain after 1997 conform with the EU entry requirements set out in directive above. Those who were prior to 1997 do not. It’s as simple as that.

But then the EU is an inconvenient truth so most people ignore it.