Tag Archives: gurkhas

Gurkhas join in Lib Dem election campaign in Maidstone

By Stephen Tall | Published 26th April 2010 - 7:50 pm

Gurkhas have joined in the election campaign in Maidstone to support the Liberal Democrat candidate for Ann Widdecombe’s former Kent seat. Lib Dem candidate Peter Carroll set up the Gurkha Justice Campaign, which last year won the right for the Gurkhas to settle in the UK.

Mr Carroll said the Gurkhas, who are based in Folkestone, travelled to Maidstone on Saturday. “They brought all their musicians and dancers and it was like a carnival.”

Readers of the best-selling Why Vote Lib Dem book will have had chance to read a short article by Madan Kumar Gurung, a …

Posted in General Election | Also tagged nick clegg, peter carroll | 5 Comments

LDVideo Easter Saturday special: Lib Dem leaders at PMQs

By Stephen Tall | Published 3rd April 2010 - 10:50 am

Welcome to this latest LDVideo instalment, and today as a special holiday treat we’re highlighting three political video clips showing Lib Dem leaders on top form at Prime Minister’s Questions.

First up, is Ming Campbell. Now Ming didn’t always have the happiest time at PMQs, but there were times when he hit his stride perfectly, and this was one such occasion, on 24th January 2007, when shaming Tony Blair’s failure to debate in the Commons whether troops should be withdrawn from Iraq:

(Also available on YouTube here).

Secondly, how could we forget Vince Cable‘s starring turn as acting leader? Certainly Gordon ‘Mr Bean’ Brown will never forget it:

Posted in YouTube | Also tagged gordon brown, iraq, ming campbell, nick clegg, PMQs, tony blair, vince cable | Leave a comment

“Does the government really want to pick a fight with Joanna Lumley six weeks before a general election?”

By Helen Duffett | Published 28th March 2010 - 10:33 pm

Joanna Lumley and Peter Carroll, founder of the Gurkha Justice campaign, are to hold a press conference tomorrow to respond to criticism of the campaign.

From yesterday’s Independent:

Joanna Lumley today hit out at what she claimed was a Government smear campaign that saw her accused of “deathly silence” over Gurkhas’ rights.

Earlier this month, defence minister Kevan Jones expressed “irritation” with the actress amid claims that Nepalese veterans had been misled and exploited. “Her deathly silence, frankly, irritates me,” he said.

But in a letter circulated today, Ms Lumley denounced the allegations.

Signed by the actress, campaigner Peter Carroll and

…

Posted in News | Also tagged joanna lumley, kevan jones, peter carroll | 1 Comment

What links Colin Firth, Ken Macdonald, Brian Eno, Gurkha veteran Madan Kumar Gurung, Pam Giddy, Floella Benjamin and Duwayne Brooks?

By Stephen Tall | Published 3rd March 2010 - 7:45 pm

Well, all six of them have contributed to the soon-to-be-published opus, Why Vote Liberal Democrat?, published this Thursday. To pre-order your copy from Amazon, please click here.

Here’s the party press release blurb:

Actor Colin Firth, former Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Ken Macdonald QC and musician Brian Eno have all contributed to a book entitled ‘Why Vote Liberal Democrat’. The book, which goes on sale on Thursday, covers topics as varied as fair taxes, gay rights, looking after our armed forces, political reform and the fight against climate change.

Other contributors include Gurkha veteran Madan Kumar Gurung, political reform

…

Posted in Books | Also tagged brian eno, colin firth, duwayne brooks, floella benjamin, ken macdonald, madan kumar gurung, pam giddy | 5 Comments

NEW POLL: Who is your Liberal Voice of the Year?

By Stephen Tall | Published 9th January 2010 - 11:45 am

Ten days ago, in the dying days of the last decade, LDV launched our search for the Liberal Voice of 2009, to find the non-Lib Dem individual or group which has had the biggest impact on liberalism in this country in the past 12 months.

Our thanks to all who put forward nominations, all of which were considered carefully by the LDV editorial collective, which has agreed to short-list the following (in no particular order):

Guy Herbert, general secretary of NO2ID, for his campaigning work against the database state;
Peter Tatchell, for his tireless and fearless international human

…

Posted in LDV Awards, Voice polls | Also tagged #trafigura, alan rusbridger, ben goldacre, featured, guy herbert, henry porter, joanna lumley, liberal voice 2009, no2id, peter tatchell, rory stewart, terry pratchett, twitter | 24 Comments

Clegg: Labour U-turn “a great victory for the Gurkhas”

By Stephen Tall | Published 21st May 2009 - 2:30 pm

Here’s what the BBC has to say:

All Gurkha veterans who retired before 1997 with at least four years’ service will be allowed to settle in the UK, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has said. Ms Smith told MPs she was “proud to offer this country’s welcome to all who have served in the brigade of Gurkhas”.

It comes after a high-profile campaign by Joanna Lumley and other supporters of Gurkha rights – and an embarrassing Commons defeat for the government.

Some 36,000 Gurkhas who left before 1997 had been denied UK residency. Ms Lumley, the actress who has been the public face

…

Posted in News | Also tagged nick clegg | 2 Comments

Ros Scott on expenses

By Mark Pack | Published 15th May 2009 - 5:48 pm

The Liberal Democrat President, Ros Scott, has emailed out the following message to party members:

It has not been a good few weeks to be a be a politician. Liberal Democrat parliamentarians have made mistakes and errors of judgement. I would like to apologise to you – the members of our party that tirelessly contribute so much to our cause – for those mistakes. At the meeting of the Federal Executive on Monday we will discuss the issues of expenses and the party’s reaction to it. I can guarantee it will be a full and frank exchange of views.

However these weeks

…

Posted in News | Also tagged joanna lumley, mps expenses, ros scott | 14 Comments

And the award for most desperate headline goes to…

By Stephen Tall | Published 6th May 2009 - 2:25 pm

Kevin Maguire in the Mirror for this effort:

Lib Dem support for the Gurkhas will cost them seats

His rationale for this, erm, counter-intuitive view? Though crediting Nick Clegg’s campaigning on behalf of the Gurkhas as “principled”, Kevin then argues that his “cosying up in bed together [with David Cameron] will cost the Lib Dems seats”.

Hmmm. Quite apart from the idea that the Lib Dem leader could (even if he’d wanted to) refuse to stand on the same platform as his Tory counterpart as part of a non-partisan campaign, what’s the evidence for Kevin’s suggestion?

Well, on the one hand …

Posted in News | Also tagged daily mirror, kevin maguire, nick clegg | 4 Comments

Martin Salter put loyalty to Brown before loyalty to the Gurkhas

By Patrick Murray | Published 1st May 2009 - 3:06 pm

Reading has a significant number of Gurkha ex-servicemen and their families, and Reading Liberal Democrats have joined some politicians from other parties, including retiring Reading West Labour MP Martin Salter, and the current Mayor of Reading Cllr Peter Beard, in campaigning for Gurkha justice and better welfare for Gurkha families.

Yesterday was an historic day for the Ghurkas. Nick Clegg’s motion to grant these brave soldiers the right to live in Britain passed by 267 votes to 246. It was a victory for justice. Clegg was absolutely right to press Gordon Brown on the moral principle at stake during PMQs- namely, …

Posted in Op-eds, Opposition watch | Also tagged martin salter | 2 Comments

The Economist on the Gurkhas: “a deserved victory for the Lib Dems and their leader Nick Clegg”

By Stephen Tall | Published 30th April 2009 - 7:51 pm

My LDV colleague Richard Huzzey has already rounded-up the media’s praise for Nick Clegg’s campaigning role on behalf of the Ghurkas HERE - while Alex Foster highlighted bloggers’ encomia HERE - but it’s worth also noting The Economist’s pseudonymous columnist Bagehot’s only slightly back-handed praise for the party and its leader:

… it was a deserved victory for the Lib Dems and their leader Nick Clegg (as well as for the Gurkhas themselves, of course). Yes, Mr Clegg can seem a bit Rumpelstiltskinean at prime minister’s questions—though it is understandable that he sometimes strains too hard when it

…

Posted in News | 1 Comment

CommentIsLinked@LDV: Ming Campbell – Gurkhas undaunted, Brown defeated

By The Voice | Published 29th April 2009 - 10:42 pm

Over at The Guardian’s Comment Is Free blog, former Lib Dem leader Ming Campbell explains how today’s Commons defeat of the policy to restrict Gurkhas’ right to settle in the UK is another crack in Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s authority:

What the government failed to appreciate was the extent of feeling within the Commons and the enormous public affection outside. The Gurkhas hold a special place in British hearts and, for once, public opinion was in favour of immigration rather than against it. …

It is wise to remember the government hasn’t fallen. But this defeat adds to the woes of a

…

Posted in LibLink | Also tagged ming campbell | Leave a comment

Brown Routed By Gurkhas: Reaction (Updated)

By Richard Huzzey | Published 29th April 2009 - 9:08 pm

Today’s historic victory for the Gurkhas and an historic defeat for Gordon Brown has already been chronicled by our own Alix Mortimer. Here is the Channel 4 News report:

Nick Clegg’s superb performance at today’s PMQ already won him rave reviews, as our Alex Foster noted.

Other mentions in dispatches for the role Nick Clegg played in forcing this issue:

“Credit in particular to Nick Clegg” – The Telegraph’s Benedict Brogan

“the Liberal Democrats can feel justifiably pleased that their long game has truly paid off” – BBC’s Gary …

Posted in Lib Dem TV | Also tagged david cameron, joanna lumley, nick clegg | 8 Comments

Lib Dem Gurkha motion won by 21 votes

By Alix Mortimer | Published 29th April 2009 - 5:45 pm

Nick Clegg’s Opposition Day debate motion has passed this afternoon by 267 votes to 246 – a narrow but highly significant victory. The motion demanded that all retired Gurkhas be awarded the right to settle in the UK.

Brown seems to have a political death wish at the moment. He was on the wrong side of today’s argument and he’ll be on the wrong side tomorrow when he tries to push through his hasty YouTube mash-up of MPs expense reforms too.

More analysis when that happens – suffice it to say for the moment that

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Posted in News | Also tagged david cameron, joanna lumley, nick clegg | 12 Comments

Bloggers unanimous: Gurkha champion Clegg aced PMQs

By Alex Foster | Published 29th April 2009 - 4:20 pm

As I type, the Lib Dems are holding the Government to account on their stance on rights for Ghurka troops to settle in the UK.

But in PMQs this afternoon, Clegg launched a blistering attack on the Prime Minister on the Ghurka issue, despite following Cameron’s similar question.

And he’s been rewarded for his efforts with a round of ace reviews from bloggers across the spectrum:

Jane Marrick: Clegg’s finest hour

But it was Clegg who played the real blinder. This was the Lib Dem leader’s best performance at PMQs. Clegg has struggled to find the right issue to get the PM on,

…

Posted in PMQs | Also tagged iain dale, nick clegg, PMQs | 3 Comments

Nick Clegg to lead attack on Labour’s Gurkha betrayal in Parliament

By Tim Prater | Published 24th April 2009 - 6:10 pm

Angry doesn’t even come close.

“A sickening ruling“.

“Contempt for this gutless, sickening Government decision“.

“The week Labour lost its last principles“.

These are just some reactions to a Government announcement today on settlement rights for Gurkhas who retired before 1997.

So what’s the story and background?

Gurkhas have served all across the world in the defence of our country for nearly 200 years. Over 45,000 died in the two World Wars as part of the British Army, and they are still fighting in the British Army today.

But until quite recently, the Gurkhas had no right to citizenship in this country after completing …

Posted in News | Also tagged nick clegg | 3 Comments

Tag Archives: gurkhas

Lib Dem support for the Gurkhas will cost them seats

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