Lumley seeks support for Gurkhas

9:21pm Monday 13th October 2008

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Actress Joanna Lumley called for public support in pressurising the Government to allow retired Gurkhas to live in the UK.

Her calls come in response to the third reading of a Bill regarding the rights of former British Army Gurkhas who retired before July 1997.

The reading of a Private Members Bill in the House of Lords gave these soldiers, who retired before July 1997, a glimmer of hope as it essentially rules out the 1997 cut-off point.

It now means there is no difference between Gurkhas who retired before 1997 and those who retired after, as long as they served for four years.

But separate cases will now need to be reviewed to make the Bill, which passed unopposed, into law for more than 2,000 former Gurkhas who have been refused permission to settle in Britain.

Ms Lumley, who was with the Gurkha soldiers wearing a Gurkha Justice T-shirt, said: "We urge people to sign onto the website to get the one million signatures we need.

"We don't want money, just names. All of these soldiers want to work here, they are not spongers. This isn't about politics. This is about saying this was our fault. Now we have the chance to stand up and be the British people we want to be and help our friends.

"Let's unite the country. We've got the government to turn on a sixpence and let's build on that."

She also revealed that she would be writing to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to request a private meeting to turn the Bill into law.

Solicitor Martin Howe, who has been working with Gurkhas throughout the campaign, said it is unlikely the Bill will be changed into law because of time constraints on Private Members Bills.

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