Brown accused of Gurkhas 'shambles'

Gurkha rights activists reacted with horror on Thursday morning when letters were received by five veterans telling them they would not be allowed into Britain.

Only a private last minute meeting between the Absolutely Fabulous actress and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas defused the row when he assured her the men's cases would be re-examined.

When the pair appeared before the television cameras together Ms Lumley said: "Downing Street telephoned me and said 'we have just heard about these letters'.

"Gordon Brown didn't know about them. It seemed that the Prime Minister didn't know about them and I think he was very anxious because it is in direct contradiction of what we were talking about yesterday."

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "At worst this was a betrayal of the Gurkhas and at best a monumental shambles in Government where one part didn't know what the other part was doing."

Mr Brown's spokesman said the letters explained how the Gurkhas would have been dealt with under the criteria set out by Mr Woolas around a fortnight ago, but had "no practical effect" because a review has since been launched.

Ms Lumley said she had been given reassurances that campaigners would be involved in the drawing up of the new guidelines, which will be published before MPs break for the summer on July 21.

She said: "I have met Mr Woolas now and I am reassured again. Because I know we are going to assist Mr Woolas in making the strongest guidelines possible.

"We have to believe in this. This is all we've got to believe in. We wish this campaign was over now."