'Legal gun owners have, in fact, been responsible for the vast majority of multiple shootings in Great Britain'.

Dr Mick North was a Dunblane parent and a founder member of Gun Control Network

The view, promoted by gun enthusiasts, that legally-owned guns are never misused has been exposed again as a fallacy by last week’s tragic events in Plymouth.  Another man has used his licensed gun to kill innocent victims.  Legal gun owners have, in fact, been responsible for the vast majority of multiple shootings in Great Britain.

Britain can be rightly proud of its tight gun laws and the consequent low rate of gun crime.  Even the most stubborn opponents of previous changes to gun legislation now acknowledge their important contribution to public safety over the last 25 years.  But the changes were hard fought and, despite their impact, there remains a reluctance of governments, especially Conservative ones, to do anything that might upset the shooting lobby, even when public safety might be the loser.

We must await the report into the conduct of Devon and Cornwall Police before knowing the exact circumstances of this case, yet there have been longstanding concerns about the licensing regime, not least the inadequacy of the resources available, something frequently raised by Gun Control Network with the Home Office. 

The police say the cost of processing a gun licence application is at least £200, yet a would-be gun owner pays only a fraction of this, a mere £79.50 for a shotgun application and only £49 for a renewal, amounts that might just cover the paperwork.  Any shortfall would be subsidised from already stretched police resources, compromising how thoroughly checks are implemented.

Proposals for full cost recovery for applications, in line with Treasury rules, were scuppered in 2013 by a Cabinet Committee, apparently at the bidding of Prime Minister David Cameron.  Yet the Home Office considered it appropriate to charge inflated fees to visa applicants, arguing that setting fees above costs was a necessity to reduce the burden on the taxpayer.  Why such a discrepancy between visa applicants and gun owners?  Favouring gun enthusiasts is costing the taxpayer and has probably cost lives.  Home Secretary Priti Patel has now asked police forces to review how they issue licences, but will she ensure they have adequate resources by significantly raising the licence fees?

The shootings in the Keyham area of Plymouth were just the latest outrage committed by a man deemed fit enough to own a gun despite police awareness of his inappropriate behaviour.  Nor was it the only time a police force had confiscated a gun only to hand it back with fatal consequences.  Following two similar shootings Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary published a highly critical report in 2015, ‘Targeting the Risk’.  ‘Not a satisfactory situation and it cannot be allowed to continue’.  Yet even though Parliament legislated for new guidance, the government response remains delayed.

Among the report’s main concerns was the need for checks on the mental suitability of gun licence applicants and the involvement of their GPs in the application process.  The recommendations have never been fully implemented.  One shooting organisation even offers advice to potential owners on how they might obtain medical verification from someone other than their own doctor.  Home Office guidance should be used to introduce compulsory GP reports immediately.

Not only is the current licence fee too low and background checks inadequate, but the five-year time period is too long for monitoring any adverse behavioural changes.  A two-year renewal would give the public better protection.  It is also time to subject shotguns to the same rigorous licensing as other firearms, with every weapon licensed separately, each one’s use fully justified.

A few days ago, after Lord Paddick accused the Home Secretary of dragging her feet over introducing recommendations following the ‘Targeting the Risk’ report, a Tory source accused him of playing politics with a tragedy.  We’ve been here before.  After the shootings at Dunblane Primary School in 1996 the then Conservative government attempted to shut down discussion of changes to gun legislation and made similar accusations towards anyone who raised the issues. 

But the victims’ families wanted these raised, they didn’t go away, and in time handguns were banned and we’re now safer.  The Government should stop resisting advice and start learning lessons.  If they want to avoid further tragedies they must prioritise public safety, not the convenience of the gun lobby.

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