Labour MP told to explain "shameful" u-turn on Gurkhas

3.20.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 1st May 2009

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg MP with Gurkhas outside Parliament

Ealing Southall Labour MP Virendra Sharma has been asked to explain a "shameful" u-turn after declaring his support for Gurkhas to remain in the UK but then voting to boot them out of the country.

Angry Liberal Democrats are demanding Mr Sharma writes to Gurkha organisations to apologise and explain his change of mind.

An "Early Day Motion" (EDM) supporting the right of Gurkhas who had served in the British Army to stay in the UK was signed by Mr Sharma on the 28th April. No debates or votes are held on EDMs but they are used by MPs instead to show their support for a particular cause.

But only a day later, on 29th April, the House of Commons voted on a full parliamentary motion in a Liberal Democrat opposition day debate that called on the Government to scrap new rules that would lead to thousands of Gurkhas being kicked out of the country. The motion was passed by the Commons even though most Labour MPs, including Virendra Sharma, voted against it.

"Virendra Sharma sided with the Gurkhas on 28th April," said Ealing Southall Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesman Nigel Bakhai. "Then within a day of signing the EDM he had changed his mind and betrayed them by voting for the Government's policy of deporting most of them.

"The Gurkhas have put their lives on the line for Britain. We have a moral duty to support those who have given so much to our country. The Liberal Democrat vote in Parliament was a tremendous victory for the Gurkhas and for decency."

"However, Virendra Sharma has performed a rapid and shameful u-turn. He owes the Gurkhas an apology and his constituents an explanation. I also urge him to press the Government to bring back new proposals that allow the Gurkhas to stay. It is the very least he can do to make amends for his actions of the last few days."

The Liberal Democrat motion on which the Government was defeated:

That this House condemns the Government's recent statement outlining the eligibility criteria for Gurkhas to reside in the United Kingdom; recognises the contribution the Gurkhas have made to the safety and freedom of the United Kingdom for the past 200 years; notes that more Gurkhas have laid down their lives for the United Kingdom than are estimated to want to live here; believes that Gurkhas who retired before 1997 should be treated fairly and in the same way as those who have retired since; is concerned that the Government's new guidelines will permit only a small minority of Gurkhas and their families to settle whilst preventing the vast majority; further believes that people who are prepared to fight and die for the United Kingdom should be entitled to live here; and calls upon the Government to withdraw its new guidelines immediately and bring forward revised proposals that extend an equal right of residence to all Gurkhas.

You can find a list of all MPs who voted on the Lib Dem Motion below - No means they voted for the Government against the motion

http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2009-04-29&number=104&display=allvotes