Nick Clegg hails historic victory for Gurkhas

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 29th Apr 2009

The Liberal Democrats today led a defeat for the Government in a vote on the rights of retired Gurkha soldiers to live in the UK.

MPs voted to condemn the Government's guidelines that would have seen just 100 of the thousands of retired Gurkhas facing deportation being allowed to remain here.

The vote is the culmination of a long campaign by the Liberal Democrats and Gurkha pressure groups, which has seen the Prime Minister challenged repeatedly on the issue by Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg, and thousands of Gurkhas handing their medals to Mr Clegg to pass to Gordon Brown in protest at their treatment.

Commenting, Nick Clegg said:

"This is an historic victory for the Gurkhas who have served our country so bravely.

"This Government has now lost its moral authority. From the first moment I challenged Gordon Brown on this over a year ago, he didn't understand that there was a simple moral principle at stake.

"People who are willing to die for our country, should be allowed to live in our country.

"The Government must listen to Parliament and scrap these shameful rules immediately and grant justice without conditions to all retired Gurkhas."

Guy Voizey, parliamentary spokesman for Canterbury and Whitstable Liberal Democrats, added:

"This is a campaign which local Liberal Democrats, led by Cllr Brian Staley, have supported strongly. Because of the proximity to Folkestone, many Gurkha families have settled in East Kent. They are an integral part of our local community and should be entitled to remain so. I call on the Government to honour the commitment given by the House of Commons."