Shooting community encouraged to email MPs

By Barnaby Dracup

Monday, 28 June 2010

Shooting community encouraged to write to constituency MPs in anticipation of the Parliamentary debate on firearms law.

Shooting community encouraged to email local MP.
BASC is asking its members and all those from the wider fieldsports community to write to their MPs before the forthcoming firearms debate.

The debate, which was promised to take place before the summer recess on 29 July, will call for a measured response to the Cumbria murders.

To make shooters’ lobbying more effective, BASC’s new campaigning website allows people to look up their local MPs and find out their views on shooting.

BASC has composed a template email that can be used as a guide in constructing correspondence with MPs.

BASC spokesman, Simon Clarke, said: “While our thoughts are very much with the people of Cumbria as they cope with the aftermath of this appalling tragedy, inevitably media and public attention has been drawn to the UK’s firearms licensing laws. Those who are opposed to the lawful use of guns have not been slow in putting their views across and shooting must make sure that its voice is heard. We urge everyone who is involved in shooting to take a few short minutes to send a message to their local elected representative.”

BASC is asking shooters to pass on responses from MPs, which will then be added to the organisation’s information about MPs’ attitudes to shooting gathered by its successful initiative in the run-up to the General Election.

Simon Clarke emphasised the importance of direct correspondence: “While professional campaigning groups such as BASC have their work to do, nothing gets through to an MP more quickly than a message from one of their own constituents.”

Three separate police inquiries into fi rearms law, internal procedures and operational response will take place.

The publication of the first of these is expected to lead to an announcement on the timing of the Commons debate. To use BASC’s campaign tool visit http://politics.basc.org.uk