Home Office set for firearms shake-up 

On 13 February the Home Office announced that it would be launching a consultation this year on “aligning the controls on shotguns with other firearms”. 

This is not the first time we have seen calls to restrict the ownership and use of shotguns, most notably in the aftermath of the Cumbria (2010) and Horden (2012) murders — both involving perpetrators who, due to police failings, should not have been in lawful ownership of their guns. 

Investigations into the 2021 Plymouth shootings led to a series of reports issued by the Plymouth senior coroner, detailing the catastrophic failings of Devon and Cornwall Police’s firearms licensing department, and calling for national accredited training and a reform of firearms law. 

Rather than focusing on the evidence of police failings in this case, anti-gun campaigners and local MP Luke Pollard latched on to suggestions for greater restrictions on shotguns. Mr Pollard even initiated a private members’ bill in a failed bid to ban the keeping of pump-action shotguns at home. 

The last government adopted a common-sense approach to this pressure, asserting that shotguns were already subject to substantial controls and that additional restrictions were unnecessary and would negatively affect their legitimate use. 

BASC has successfully argued the case against knee-jerk ineffective changes in law around shotgun ownership and use for decades with successive governments. So if the threatened consultation launches we will again make our case — but this time we really will need massive engagement and support from everyone participating in shooting. It is an existential threat to recreational shooting. 

In tandem with the announcement of a consultation this year, the Home Office also published its findings into a 2023 consultation on firearms licensing controls, which had 91,385 responses. 

Police powers 

The wolf at the door is a decision to give police greater powers of entry into certificate holders’ homes without a warrant, despite the proposal being rejected by 80.7% of respondents. The Home Office argues that this power would only be used when there are grounds for reviewing suitability and the certificate holder is uncooperative. That is an inadequate safeguard and BASC is considering the case for taking legal action under civil rights law should any such legislation be tabled. 

Protecting public safety was the common thread running through the various proposals contained in the 2023 consultation. It is therefore incredible that the Policing Minister has rejected a key opportunity to improve public safety by making the placing of a marker on the medical notes of certificate holders mandatory for general practitioners. That is despite an overwhelming 83% of respondents supporting this proposal. 

The Minister has also ducked the opportunity to increase the duration of certificates. BASC had argued for 10-year certificates and will continue to do so. 

In 2023 there was also a consultation on taking moderators off ticket, but there is no mention of this in the Home Office announcements. We will continue lobbying the Government for action on this simple yet very effective means of reducing firearms licensing departments’ workload. 

Instead, we look set for increased bureaucracy because the Home Office wants applicants for the grant or renewal of a shotgun certificate to provide a further referee in line with the two currently required for a firearms certificate. Referees are not an important part of any suitability assessment, so this proposal merely creates more administrative burden on the police without enhancing public safety. 

With these announcements the Home Office has thrown down the gauntlet to recreational shooting and rural communities. We have faced worse challenges than this and there is plenty to be positive about — shooting is thriving — but the excuses for apathy and division are running out. 

With that in mind there are some things we can each do. Join BASC, or if you are already a member, encourage others to do so and support BASC’s campaigns against these ill-advised decisions and proposals.