Gurkhas defeat government

The Campaign for Gurkhas Rights, led by Joanna Lumley and backed by the double team of David Cameron and Nick Clegg, have won the right of residence for Gurkhas after the government lost a vote in the Commons on Wednesday.

I’m proud that Parliament was able to take a stand on this and win. Anything less would have been an insult to the Gurkhas who, despite owing no loyalty to this county, were prepared to lay down their lives to help defend us. The least we can do to repay their heroism is to allow them to live here if they so choose.

In a move that is sure to worry Gordon Brown the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, along with 27 Labour rebels, joined forces to defeat the government over the issue. This was Brown’s first Commons defeat since he became PM and the forth since 1997 and is yet another sign that this government is on its last legs.