Last week’s victory for former Gurkha soldiers was a triumph for so many people who had campaigned for so long to achieve this outcome.

I am proud to have played my role in Parliament.

People in all political parties represented in the House of Commons worked together for justice for the brave men who had served Britain and who wished to have the right to live in the country for which they had risked their lives.

But not every political party supports the Gurkhas. Those thinking of voting for the BNP (British National Party) should be advised that the BNP would deport all former Gurkhas from Britain, and would abolish the Brigade of Gurkhas.

The BNP would also ban men and women from the Commonwealth serving in HM Armed Forces.

Gurkhas and Commonwealth soldiers represent about ten per cent of our Army; they are vitally important to this country’s military capabilities.

In the past fortnight, a Gurkha and a soldier from Fiji have been killed while serving our country in Afghanistan.

Last week, the Gazette carried an advertisement from the BNP, with the slogan “British Jobs for British Workers”. The “builders” photographed in front of the British flag are, in fact, American actors and the picture was taken in Oregon, USA.

The BNP election leaflet features a “Battle for Britain” RAF Spitfire from the Second World War. The photograph is of a plane flown by brave Polish airmen who helped Britain defeat the Nazis.

Poland and much of mainland Europe was occupied by the fascists who murdered millions of people.

The “doctor” in the leaflet is also an American actor; while the “pensioner” couple are in fact Italians who have lived all their lives in Italy. The quotes attributed to them and other people featured in the BNP leaflet are all false.

Hopefully, no Colchester resident will want to vote for the racist BNP; there are several other parties fielding candidates in the county council and European elections from which to choose and which do not have the extremist views of the BNP.

None of the BNP candidates lives locally; all live miles away in other parts of Essex and have absolutely no connection with Colchester.

Bob Russell,
MP for Colchester,
House of Commons