* notice also that the wording on the website has been changed since yesterday, to acknowledge that Mr S actually did not vote on the Gurkha motion - took a bit long to learn the lesson of the lies on the Iraq vote, hein?
I am writing this on behalf of myself, Madan K. Gurung, Chandra Burathoki and Gyanraj Rai. All of us are Reading base-based former British Army Gurkhas.
As retired Gurkha soldiers living in Reading, we are surprised at the letters that have been published from Adrian Windisch and David Akroyd concerning Martin Salter’s abstention in the recent vote on the Lib Dem motion for Gurkhas (Post, Wednesday, May 6).
Their letters demonstrate not only their welcomed commitment to the Gurkha Justice cause but unfortunately, also their ignorance of the background to recent events.
It is also disappointing that Adrian and David seem to be making party political mileage out of what is a non-party political issue.
We are grateful to all our supporters but we recognise that the Parliamentary vote was won not just by the Labour MPs who voted with us but also by the far larger number of Labour MPs who refused to vote against Gurkhas and demonstrated this by withholding their votes.
Martin Salter was instrumental in persuading all those Labour MPs to support Gurkhas. We cannot think of a politician who has done more for the Gurkhas’ cause than Martin Salter, since he espoused the cause and was elected as chairman of the all party Gurkha Rights Group, a group he helped form.
We steadfastly believe that no Gurkha will say anything against Martin Salter and that nobody who is aware of what has actually been happening would doubt his motives and actions on Gurkhas.
Martin Salter remains in a unique position to help Gurkhas and we continue to rely on him in the settlement debate.
Martin Salter has in the past few days continued to demonstrate his genuine and serious commitment to Gurkhas by taking the Veterans Minister Kevan Jones to task in the Home Affairs Select Committee and also by continuing to attack the wholly fictitious arguments the Ministry of Defence is trying to push on the Government. We think he deserves praise not criticism.
Laxmi Prasad Sharma,
Madan Kumar Gurung
Chandra Budhathoki,
Gyanraj Rai,
London Street,
Reading
.
3 comments:
Ah the old Salter/Howarth trick of getting compliant stooges to write in to the local papers. With the local papers disappearing they won't be able to do that much longer.
As you say why did Salter & Howarth get them to send it from the Gurkha HQ in London Street rather than their home addresses? Ah, none of them live in Reading West. Do they hold positions in the Reading Gurkha organisation? If so why did they not put them on the letter?
Also, you are right that to use the same language as used in the releases on this matter on Salter's website is laughably incompetent.
At the end, as well as Salter and Howarth being a joke for this the Post has made itself look ridiculous by making it a star letter. All round a gang of fools.
Strange--I wondered about that as well! Hmmm
What a pity Salter couldn't show some of the Gurkha's courage and vote against the Government instead of cowardly abstaining,which he seems to confuse with voting against.
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