Former Gurkha soldiers who fought for Britain should receive the right to stay in Britain, according to a Midland MP.
Solihull MP Lorely Burt (Lib Dem) joined forces with Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg to protest against the Government's treatment of Gurkha soldiers, who are denied indefinite leave to remain in Britain after they have served in the Armed Forces.
She was present earlier last week as a number of Gurkhas handed over their hard-earned medals to Nick Clegg, who will take the issue directly to the Prime Minister in the hope that the Government will change its plans.
Ms Burt said: "There is a whole generation of Gurkhas who retired before 1997 who are being, in effect, turfed out of the United Kingdom. They fought on the front line very bravely in a long list of conflicts - they then retired from the Army and they are told they are not allowed to stay in this country.
"I think this is a simply scandalous way to treat some of the most modest, brave and courageous individuals I have ever met.
"The way the Government has treated these brave soldiers is nothing short of a disgrace. That they have been moved to hand over their medals won in combat is a measure of how strongly they feel.
"I will be working as hard as I can to force the Government to change their policy on this."
Nepalese Gurkhas have been part of the British Army for nearly 200 years, but they are unhappy that they receive lower pensions than UK soldiers. If they retired before 1997, Gurkhas have no automatic right to remain in the UK.
Last year, the Government announced that Gurkhas could transfer into the Armed Forces' pension scheme, hugely increasing their income. But 22,000 former Gurkhas are not eligible for the scheme, because they retired before July 1997, when the unit was moved to Britain from its base in Hong Kong.
