Brown loses Gurkha vote

[Pondlife]

Just in on the beeb

[sasguru]

Yeah unfortunately not binding ...

[Pondlife]

So about as useful as a CUK poll then.

[foritisme]

....but embarassing for Crash Brown, Jacqui 'Does Dallas' Smith et al. Lets hope they do the decent thing !

[AtW]

Lets hope they do the decent thing !

Commit harakiri? No chance, they'd run this country into the ground first...

[xoggoth]

Am I the only one opposed to an automatic right of all Ghurkas to retire here?

"They fought for our country etc." Actually, they got paid for a job they chose to do because by the standards of Nepal it provided a darn good living. Now, although some have served for as little as fifteen years, they are to receive the same NHS care and state pension in old age as British soldiers although most of the money they received did not stay in Britain to stimulate our economy but went to Nepal. In all that large number I am betting there are going to be some undesirables, criminals etc and it is right to treat this on a case by case basis.

The arrangement is an anachronism that should be ended. Pay British troops.

[AtW]

Pay British troops.

That should happen to, unfortunately there are not enough ground forces (or money in the budget): Ghurkas are high quality soldiers that have long history of loyalty, to betray them for the same of not giving out 20k passports is crazy strategy.

UK should follow proven path of France with Foreign Legion - anyone who fights well for this country for 5 years + should get citizenship.

[Troll]

UK should follow proven path of France with Foreign Legion - anyone who fights well for this country for 5 years + should get citizenship.

Did you do your 5 years?

[AtW]

Did you do your 5 years?

In October this year it will be 5 years since I started working on SKA...

[Mich the Tester]

Am I the only one opposed to an automatic right of all Ghurkas to retire here?

Not quite. CyberGit agrees with you.