Ruth Cadbury Backs Gurkha Pension Campaign
MP says they should receive same benefits as other veterans of the armed forces
Ruth Cadbury MP
This Monday (22 November), Brentford Isleworth MP Ruth Cadbury MP spoke up in parliament for the Gurkha community after a recent protest in regards to their pension rights.
In her speech she mentioned the work of Hounslow’s large Gurkha community, including that of Hounslow Mayor Councillor Bishnu Gurung, who served as a staff sergeant with the Gurkhas.
Ms Cadbury also referred to the Gurkha’s campaign around pension equality, and the impact that the Government’s universal credit cut would have on many Gurkha families.
The debate was raised in Parliament after a petition reached over 100,000 signatures, demanding that Gurkhas receive the same pensions as other British veterans of the same rank and service.
In August, a group of Gurkha veterans went on a thirteen-day hunger strike outside the Ministry of Defence, only ending their strike after officials agreed to meet with the group and the Nepali ambassador.
Speaking after the debate, the MP said, “In Hounslow we’re lucky to have a large Gurkha community, who have served both in our armed forces and also play a huge role in our local civic community
“That’s why I made sure to attend this debate and urge the Government to listen to the serious concerns that many Gurkhas have raised about their pensions. I also mentioned the impact that the Governments £1,000 a week cut to Universal Credit has had, along with the rip-off immigration fees that many Gurkhas and other commonwealth veterans still face.
“It’s time the Government to show their commitment to Gurkhas across the UK who’ve given so much for our country.’’
To see the full transcript of the debate, follow the link here.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |
November 26, 2021