Gordon Brown retreats on Gurkhas

Gurkha veterans will win the right to settle in Britain after an embarrassing climb-down by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The change of heart was forced on the Government by a vigorous campaign led by actress Joanna Lumley and a humiliating Commons defeat on the issue.

Lumley was to discuss the new rules with the Prime Minister at Downing St today.

Ministers had previously refused to allow thousands of Gurkha veterans who retired before 1997 to settle in Britain, claiming it would cost £1.4 billion ($3.6 billion) to give residency rights to all 36,000 Nepalese ex-soldiers.