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  James
  
  This is a copy of my posting from May of this year which you may have missed.
  
  When they took the Queens shilling there was no promise of citizenship or UK residency this has been dreamed up by z list celebs who have nothing better to do.Yes they deserve equal pay and pension rights as British soldiers but handing over residency and back dating it I think is a step too far.
  
  No one has even considered the effect of the economy of Nepal and the even greater effect on the villages from where these soldiers were recruited.Normally throughout their service the soldiers remit money home to their wives and parents and support their extended families.The local shops thrive as money comes into the region.The second aim is then to build themselves and their family a brick house for their retirement.So beautiful large house are built over a period of years again this help supports the local industries and craftsman. Hard earned sterling pounds are converted to US dollars and then exchanged for the local currency.Nepal needs these dollars to help with its balance of payments.
  
  All that will cease with this ruling and a 400 year tradition will die and fade away.The money will be kept in the UK.The wives will join their husbands here and therefore the retirement homes will not be built .The stonemasons carpenters etc will lose their jobs small shops will close as the money no longer gets sent home and a whole way of life will cease.
  
  Sometimes we act without thinking what the repercussions will be.
  
  May I add that if the Tories gain power this is an area where they will be able to cut costs.Now that the Ghurkhas have obtained equal pay and pensions (and rightly so) added to to that their rights to settle in the UK they are no longer the cheap mercenaries that they used to be and are no longer cost effective.In fact they have become a pricey tradition to uphold. So not have we put in jepordy their fragile mountainous economy we have also put their heads on the chopping block waiting for the axe to fall on their regiments. Maybe in 10 20 years time Ms Lumley won't be considered as much as a saint but more of a sinner who helped destroy a 2 or 300 year old tradition as the Ghurkhas are faded out and hard currency ceases to find its way back into the Nepal villages.

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