Gurkha ruling is ‘loyalty betrayal’

Peter Blundell, was the last commanding officer of The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers in Hong Kong

Ex commanding officer goes on the offensive

AN angry Army veteran has slammed the Government for betraying the loyalty shown to Britain by the Gurkhas.

Peter Blundell, was the last commanding officer of The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers in Hong Kong, with 850 in his regiment.

He was speaking in the wake of the Gurkhas losing a bid to overturn a ruling stopping them automatically settling in the UK after leaving the Army.

Those who left the Army before 1997 were not given the right to automatically settle in the UK after four years’ service.

Last year, a High Court judge ruled the policy excluding older veterans was unlawful and in need of urgent review.

However, instead of overturning the ruling, the Government decided to allow soldiers who retired before July 1997 the automatic right to live in the UK — but only if special circumstances apply, such as injures or they were awarded a bravery medal.

Mr Blundell, who is now a business consultant, said: “The whole Gurkha immigration issue is a disgrace and an embarrassment to this country — especially as the minister responsible for setting the residency test criteria is our own MP, Phil Woolas.

“The Gurkhas do, and will, add value to our society and country as they have done so for 200 years. It is a total betrayal of their loyalty to Britain.”

Mr Blundell, who has twin daughters, went on: “It’s a nonsense there should be any eligibility criteria applied to Gurkhas who served this country before 1997.

“However, if there has to be residency criteria, because of the implications on other Foreign and Commonwealth soldiers who have also served our country when we needed them, at least make that criteria fair to all ranks.

“The criteria the Immigration Minister has used is, in itself, discriminatory,” he claimed.

He cited the residency test if a Gurkha has served for 20 years in the British Army.

“This will restrict the people eligible to only Gurkha officers, as they are allowed to serve for 20 years, whereas a rifleman can only serve 15 years.

“I would suggest lowering the service period to 10 years, which would make the test much more equitable across all ranks.”

“This issue will not go away,” he added. “It is too emotive – we will fight on.”

There are currently around 3,500 serving Gurkhas. More than 200,000 fought during the First and Second World Wars, with 43,000 giving their lives.

Immigration Minister Phil Woolas, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, said: “The announcement I made on behalf of government went further than the court ordered.

“Gurkhas who have served since 1997 have the right to settle. To grant everyone settlement since 1945 was never on the cards but I have gone as far as is possible.”