Jodie Gosling MP: speeches

Speeches

• 26 Mar 2026 · Gurkha Veterans · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Cameron Thomas) for securing this debate and the Backbench Business Committee for allowing it. I would also like to recognise the work of my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Alex Baker). I know that hon. Friend would be here today, were it not for other duties. As the MP for Nuneaton, I am incredibly fortunate and proud to represent a large Gurkha population. Their contribution to our town is valued and woven into the fabric of Nuneaton, from the Gurkha Corner Bar to the Crossed Khukris and its amazing curries, which I highly recommend to every Member of the House—I am sure that we can arrange a wonderful visit. Support and advocacy are provided through the British Gurkha Veterans Association, and the Gurkha monument —the first of its kind—is in Riversley Park in the centre of Nuneaton. Nuneaton is deeply proud of its long-standing connections with Gurkha veterans and serving soldiers, with the Queen’s Gurkha Signals based in Gamecock barracks in neighbouring Rugby. The British Gurkha Veterans Association provides so much support in our community. It offers English language classes and support for families to better engage with their neighbours and community. It arranges for health checks and organises visits around the country—including one to Parliament, where I had the honour of hosting over 50 Gurkha families for a tour. I know that it is excited by the opportunities presented by Op Valour, which is greatly welcomed in our community, to build on that work. The recent elections in Nepal provide an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between Nepal and the UK. My community recognises the importance of that relationship and has faith that the UK Government will be able to engage in talks to end the historical injustices against the Gurkha population. I thank the Minister for the work he has done in this area to support our Gurkha communities and strengthen that partnership. I urge him to engage positively with the talks as they progress, and with the Nepal APPG, chaired by my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot. We have heard many accounts of how Gurkha soldiers have served our nation for generations. They have fought alongside British troops with their renowned ferocity and bravery, and they have paid a heavy cost. We owe them, and all our service personnel, a great debt, and yet long-standing concerns about pensions and access to services for veterans, their wives and widows have failed to be resolved for too long. While I understand the challenge of retroactively addressing pension issues, much more needs to be done to ensure that those who have served—especially those who have paid in national insurance contributions and not seen the returns—have access to healthcare and financial support. I also echo what the hon. Member for Tewkesbury said about pre-1997 veterans who were injured in service and do not qualify for a medical pension or compensation. I had the pleasure of meeting Andrew Limbu, and the absolute privilege of hosting him in Nuneaton. Like many of the veterans, he is quite a character. His passion, enthusiasm and dedication to the fight were a pleasure to see. His visit was only made more memorable by his party trick of popping out his eye at inappropriate moments. As is the case for so many, his life has changed irreversibly as a consequence of his bravery and service in the Falklands. Decisions on a resolution have been deferred for too long. This is a debt that needs to be settled with more than just platitudes. Through my involvement with the armed forces parliamentary scheme, I have heard about the wider impact of Gurkha soldiers. It is very welcome that, while we struggle to recruit in other areas, Gurkha regiments are already oversubscribed. I wish to pay homage to a few of the veterans in my community, including Om Gurung and Padam Bahadur Gurung, who are freemen of my borough, and our mayor, Bhim Saru, who still serves our community. It is practically impossible to find a support service in Nuneaton that has not in one way or another been touched by the work and generosity of our Gurkha veterans, who continue to serve after their duties are done. It is more important than ever for the Government to continue to work at pace to show respect for and truly honour the Gurkha veterans who have made such a sacrifice for our country.

• 3 Feb 2026 · Educational Outcomes: Disadvantaged Boys and Young Men · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir John. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Hitchin (Alistair Strathern) for securing this debate and allowing me two minutes to speak. I was a primary school teacher for 25 years and an early years practitioner, and I have seen very young children become disengaged with education—especially boys, who are already on a pathway to not showing us what they are capable of. Part of my role was to be a forest school leader, and I worked with small groups of challenging boys who were causing disruption in classrooms—not learning, and disrupting the learning of others. We used to work outside, building ambition, resilience and concentration through physical work, tree climbing and exploring. The boys and girls in the forest school—although it was predominantly boys—were given a sense of autonomy over their learning and control of their lives. The transformation of those disadvantaged children was significant. Teachers in the classroom afterwards said that their concentration, behaviour, attainment and even attendance had improved while they were taking part in those courses. I attended Harrogate Army foundation college with the armed forces parliamentary scheme, and was absolutely blown away by the stories of 16 and 17-year-olds—predominantly boys—who told me that they had dropped out of school, sometimes years ago, had no GCSEs, spent their days playing games, watching YouTube or getting into a bit of bother, and now were up at 6 and passing exams. They had never considered that possible, and they were physically fitter than they had ever dreamed. There are many studies linking physical activities such as running and forest school to better attainment and improved concentration. I agree with my hon. Friend the Member for Hitchin. Does the Minister believe that in order to address the decades-old issues with the gaps in boys’ attainment, we need to consider evidence from when they have engaged and succeeded, and reconsider the environment in which we are asking them to learn by taking a more creative approach to education that meets their emotional and physical needs?