Sue Farrant celebrates Gurkha vote
Thursday, April 30th, 2009
Sue Farrant with Gurkha campaigners
Sue Farrant, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for West Dorset, welcomed yesterday’s vote in the House of Commons to give residency rights to 36,000 Gurkhas. The motion had been brought by Nick Clegg, Lib Dem Leader and was a defeat for the government and another blow to Gordon Brown’s authority.
Sue Farrant, herself a former army officer, has actively supported the campaign to allow the Gurkha veterans to be allowed to live in Britain. “It is only just”, she said, “That these brave soldiers who were prepared to lay down their lives for this country should be able to live out the rest of their days here.”
The government has announced that it will honour the wishes of MPs and allow the Gurkhas to stay. The decision will affect 36,000 men who retired from the Gurkhas before 1997. The campaign has been led by Joanna Lumley, whose father was a British Gurkha officer.
