Joanna gets the job done for the Gurkhas

All Gurkha veterans who retired before 1997 with at least four years’ service will be allowed to settle in the UK, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has said.

Ms Smith told MPs she was “proud to offer this country’s welcome to all who have served in the brigade of Gurkhas”.

Her announcement followed a high-profile campaign by actress Joanna Lumley and other supporters – and an embarrassing Commons defeat for the government.

Around 36,000 Gurkhas who left before 1997 were previously refused habitation in the United Kingdom.

Ms Lumley, who has become the public face of the Gurkhas’ campaign described Gordon Brown as a “brave man who has made today a brave decision on behalf of the bravest of the brave.”

Gurkhas, who are recruited from Nepal, have been part of the British Army for almost 200 years.