Reality Knocks (again)

The historic British Army town of Aldershot is now trying to avoid picking up the bill for the arrival for settlement of over 7,000 former Gurkha soldiers plus their dependants.  It should send its bills to the British actress Joanna Lumley, who orchestrated the campaign to allow all former Gurkha soldiers, who have served more than 4 years in the British Army, to settle in Britain.  Here they will be able to live on pensions payable from the grand old age of 32, plus income support, child benefit, housing benefit, etc. (i.e. the British taxpayer) but may not have much to do.

Allowing the Gurkhas to settle in Britain at the end of their 4 years’ service (“only a few will want to come”) broke a long-standing agreement with the Government of Nepal.  This says that in return for allowing the British Army to recruit Gurkhas, they should be returned to Nepal at the end of their service, when with a British Army pension amounting to riches in Nepalese terms they could use their army skills to make a real contribution to their own country.  Instead, Lumley and others have ensured that most will come to Britain, with poor English and few if any skills relevant to the economy, to eke out an existence on benefits.  There is also a good chance that the Army will now find paying for Gurkhas so expensive, that they will stop recruiting them.  So, broken agreements, spoiled lives – what does this reality matter in the face of the huge gush of sentimentality unleashed by Ms Lumley.


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