Gurkhas to march on Downing Street - Carroll

Over 500 retired Gurkha soldiers will march from Parliament Square to hand deliver a letter to the Prime Minister at Downing Street at 11.30am on Thursday 14th December 2006. The Gurkhas will protest about the Government's failure to properly honour the right for retired Gurkhas to become citizens of the UK on retirement and to protest about the appallingly low pensions paid to retired Gurkhas. Hundreds of retired Gurkhas who should have the right to citizenship are having their applications unfairly held up by the Home Office.

The Gurkhas will gather in Parliament Square at 10.00am before marching to Downing Street. They will wear their famous hats and wear their many medals with pride and march to the sound of pipes.

Folkestone Lib Dem Peter Carroll is helping to organise the march, two years after he helped with the campaign that won the right of citizenship for the Gurkhas in the first place. Peter said:

"The British people have a special place in their hearts for the magnificent and loyal Gurkha soldiers. Their courage and devotion to duty is legendary. I'm sure that the whole nation will side with these brave people in their cry for help to Tony Blair.

"If these people are brave enough to fight for us then they should have the right to live with us as citizens. Their pension is currently between 1/8th and 1/6th of the equivalent UK Service person - how can that be right?"

It is hoped that the sight of so many retired Gurkhas asking for help will shame the Home Office to act. The Gurkhas will have with them the details of many retired soldiers being denied the right to citizenship and also details of Gurkhas now forced to live in poverty because of the very low pensions.

The retired Gurkhas won a partial victory in 2004 when the Government accepted that those who retired from the army after 1997 could become citizens. However, since then the Government has put numerous 'unannounced' obstacles in their way.

The last time this issue hit the headlines there was a massive supportive response from all over the UK. The Daily Express and the BBC Jeremy Vine show covered the issue extensively.