Alok Sharma, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Reading West, joined Reading’s Gurkha veterans outside Parliament today to demonstrate his support for their campaign for fair settlement rights.

Commenting after the Parliamentary debate on Gurkha settlement rights, which saw Gordon Brown and his Government defeated, Alok Sharma said: “Although the vote is not legally binding it puts enormous pressure on the Government to change it current hugely disappointing policy towards the Gurkhas and Ministers need to come forward immediately with new proposals. Our local Reading Gurkhas are absolutely delighted at the result of this vote which provides a huge boost for their campaign, which is supported by people all across Reading, but we all know it still needs concrete Government action to make any real difference.”

Alok Sharma added: “The British people know that a huge debt of gratitude is owed to the Gurkhas, many of whom have laid down their lives for Crown and Country over the generations, and it is time the British Government finally recognised and delivered on that obligation. The Conservative Party has called for a new category to be added to the immigration guidelines to allow more Gurkhas to settle in Britain.”