The Case for the Gurkhas
April 30th, 2009 | 
Author: 
I suppose I should subtitle this: “Gordon Falls into his own Elephant Trap”. The story of a Government defeat in the Commons yesterday over the status of former pre-1997 Gurkha soldier’s rights to settle in the UK is an interesting lesson to all politicians. In a way I suppose it is similar to the old saying of actors about never working with animals and children, they will always upstage you !
It was though a total and utter disaster for Gordon Brown and just incredible that he didn’t see it coming and was even stupid enough to get in a slanging match with Nick Clegg that he lost at Prime Minister’s Questions, only Brown could make Clegg look so good !
An Opposite View
Field Marshall Lord Brammell who sits I believe as a Labour Peer wrote a very good article in the Independent on Sunday saying why he thought that the Gurkhas were not being mistreated and were getting a good deal and in his time, he did serve with the Gurkhas. Whilst I respect His Lordship’s views but partly because of his age, likely personal circumstances and lack of political experience, he is completely out of touch on the matter .
The interesting thing is as a former soldier, he is entitled to be, I’m not sure that applies to Brown and his Cabinet who if they were soldiers, apparently couldn’t tell one end of a rifle from the other.
Financially, the majority of former Gurkhas would likely live in greater style in Nepal on their now enhanced Army Pensions and if more work had been done by the Government on the Widows and others without a pension in Nepal, the pressure to come to the UK might be less.
Some Facts
In the British Army we have 3,500 Gurkhas, they are Light Infantry – front line fighting men, getting enough good infantry is our biggest problem and a lack of sufficient number of “boots on the ground” limits our degree of influence particularly in joint operations with the USA.
An Officer may serve for 20 years, a Rifleman for maximum 15 years. You will understand that the Government in making their rules up for “pre-1997″ Gurkhas under which they could settle in the UK were totally aware of this so that their actions were totally cynical.
Whilst we have no “Foreign Legion”, scattered throughout the British Army in normal Regiments are a surprising number of foreign nationals, you will recall an Australian soldier died recently in Afghanistan. However, whilst there are people from the Antipodes, it appears that South Africa and Fuji figure prominently, these soldiers automatically qualify for British citizenship after 4 years exemplary service.
The Public Mood
Whilst there is certainly a degree of “emotion” behind those of us who support the Gurkhas I would suspect that it is all rather more than that. In a country where the Government has deliberately connived in an open borders policy so that we are over run with at least +500,000 illegal immigrants, that the Government knows about and even employs in the House of Commons and on Government security duties.
The same Government that arrested an Opposition MP because he exposed their complicity and knowledge in this fraud. There is a strong general feeling that the Gurkhas who have served at risk of life and limb to support a “British Way of Life” are far more deserving than some person from Song Gat which this very “creepy” Government seems to favour.
There is also an element of Gurkhas being a “Better and More Honourable Us”. To talk of their fighting capabilities is only part of the story, unswerving loyalty is the other.
Some years ago I can remember when based in Hong Kong, a section had a really big problem with their British Officer, one Gurkha dropped a frag grenade on him. Although this was the action of one man, the section wouldn’t give him up and all accepted a dishonourable discharge with no pension rather than betray their fellow soldier or, their Regiment. It was an odd incident but considering the poverty of where they come from and returning to empty handed, a remarkable one too.
Clean Up Time
But is more than that, it is something clean and unsullied by this disgraceful Government with its lies and McBrides. The Gurkhas in some ways have come to represent what the general public want which is that people who have served, been prepared to lay down their lives to protect a “British Way of Life” should be properly treated and given the respect they deserve along with our own veterans and even us as citizens deserve.
We are tired of high taxes paid to an incompetent Government that Ostrich like has its collective head stuffed up its arse and is deaf to all entreaties. We are tired of broken promises like the Referendum on the EU, we are tired of the contempt that is shown to us…we are tired of you Gordon Brown and all your creatures, we want you gone !
The Spirit not the Letter
To say that the present arrangements neither applied nor were expected by previous generations of Gurkha Riflemen whilst correct as a fact, is no longer correct in principle. Children used to work up chimneys and down coal mines but it is no longer acceptable to British Society, we have moved on so the change is tacit or implied across a whole series of issues.
Once women were given the vote, one could hardly withhold it from earlier generation still alive because they “didn’t expect it” is a nonsense argument. What Lord Brammall also implies is that these soldiers are really economic refugees but if so, they have earned the right whereas some person from Song Gat hasn’t.
Gordon is a Mean Little Shit
This Government was a petty and small minded in laying down their “Catch 22” rules and shouting their reasons as cost using a figure pulled out of the air. This reputed cost from the most profligate and wasteful of any British politician in living memory, is derisory from a man that seems to find it difficult to count on fingers and toes accurately and is clearly incapable of running the Country’s finances.
The bottom line is that Gordon Brown hasn’t an ounce of political judgement, this was not a battle he should have fought. As he demonstrated in his Budget last week, his Government did nothing and is prepared to hand the Tories a thoroughly poisoned chalice, I wonder that he didn’t add this to the list… Does this clown not know just how much he is generally loathed and detested ? Do his backbenchers not realise that they need a General Election NOW or, is topping up their John Lewis List more important ?
Posted in Defence, Politics | 
Tags: British Interests, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Personal Journey, Politicians, The Web, Within the UK
Given the tenor of this blog, perhaps the ideal solution is to bring in as many Gurkhas as possible, and employ them at ports etc. to prevent illegal aliens entering the country. The Gurkhas have already proven their ability to defend Britain’s borders against all comers.
To be fair the issue is as follows:
“Financially, the majority of former Gurkhas would likely live in greater style in Nepal on their now enhanced Army Pensions and if more work had been done by the Government on the Widows and others without a pension in Nepal, the pressure to come to the UK might be less.”
To be honest it is less the circumstances that we are talking about, rather more the expectations from being prepared to die for a Country, whatever Country. Gordon Brown is quite happy to pose for cameras “in theatre” with British Troops he has deployed but not equipped properly. He has been happy to deprive them and their families of the means of doing the job so that they could come home alive.
To be quite frank, if Gordon Brown went north of the border, they crucified him and set light to him and his carcase, I am not too sure that anybody would really give a fart about it or him and that is really sad, he needs to go now.
This was what I wrote on Dan Hannan’s post relating to Lumley and the Gurhkas.
Some thoughts and questions from across the pond about the Gurkhas. Would appreciate any education, lectures, scoldings or whatever anyone wants to give me.
Isn’t the British military (with some question as to the last few years) among the 3 best in the world? Wouldn’t any study of the British army would include the Gurkhas as an integral and indispensible part thereof?
As a person who has posted many anti-immigration rants on Daniel’s blogs, I have made it clear that I am not racist: I am against a religious ideology (Islam) that seeks to destroy Western freedoms. That has nothing to do with race. Am I correct that few, if any, of the Gurkhas are Muslim or hold any ideology which would seek to destroy Britain as a country with Western freedoms? (Yes, I know, there may be a handful of Maoists among them or their families today. But is it a significant number?) Isn’t opposing residency or citizenship for Gurkhas who have fought for your way of life, who pose no threat to your laws and freedoms actual, true, real-deal racism?
Speaking of a now-Maoist country, do you really want a whole bunch of now perhaps very bitter, highly trained ex-soldiers running around the part of the world that includes India, Pakistan and Afghanistan? They are presumably not Maoist – but highly-trained ex soldiers have been known to do funny things when the world they have known goes to hell-in-a-handbasket.
Is it not true that even that most self-serving of European countries – the French – gives citizenship to members of the French Foreign Legion?
There would be a large number of Gurkha immigrants. But Britain needs immigrants because of your aging population. These are at least immigrants who have fought for you, are hardworking and innovative and can fit into British life. Aren’t these the immigrants that you should welcome (and throw the on-welfare radical Islamists out)?
I understand the history: You had a deal that everybody was OK with; circumstances changed in 1997 and you changed the deal for soldiers serving after then Now the old guys are angry and want the new deal – even though that’s not what they bargained for. But their circumstances changed too. They fought in the name of freedom; they have gone home to a Maoist government (and they’re angry they didn’t get the new deal). Rectifying this creates issues for you: cost, issue with Nepal’s now Maoist government, possibility of no future Gurkha regiment. The answer to the last two is easy: make the British Army attractive enough to attract sufficient recruits (and hey, I understand that a number of Brits are going into the French Foreign Legion – maybe you could even retain those individuals – or the ones you want, if pay in the British military is high enough). In fact, make that Britain’s stimulus package – decent pay for a big military. Brown would be happy – he could spend lots of money on something the Tories wouldn’t hate too much. No, I’m being facetious. But I understand you trusted Gurkhas to protect Prince Harry in Afghanistan (Whether his being there was a waste of manpower is another question.) and they are fighting there now. So looking at this story from across the pond, it doesn’t appear to be Britain’s finest hour.
(I do not pretend to claim that America always does the right thing either.)