𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Rural campaigners have slammed Labour for purportedly planning to roll out new legislation to overhaul gun ownership. The move would be the biggest threat in a generation to rural shooting, triggering more bureaucracy, delays and costs for competitive shooting and clay-pigeon shooting, it is feared. The policy would see shotgun licencing merged with rifles, which are subject to stricter rules. These include restrictions on where the firearm can be used, as well as the amount of ammunition they can hold. Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, an organisation that represents rural businesses and farmers, told The Express that the new measures are “draconian”.

“Amongst the many unhelpful and unjustified attacks on the countryside by the current government is the proposed changes to gun licencing which would do nothing to improve public safety, but will seriously harm the rural economy and undermine conservation efforts,” he said. “Legitimate gun owners are committed to robust licensing and the Countryside Alliance and our partner organisations have consistently worked with the government on issues like medical checks and mental health to improve the system.

“These new proposals, however, are draconian and unreasonable. This is the biggest threat to shooting in a generation.”

Mr Bonner suggested an alternative.

He said: “There are 43 separate firearms licensing bodies in the UK and if the government is concerned about improving public safety it should first be looking to create a single, centralised firearms licensing body with full digitisation to replace the current outdated system.

“An effective body like the DVLA would improve public safety, provide a consistent service for gun owners and allow police forces to focus on law enforcement, rather than licensing — a function they were never set up to deliver”.

The alliance’s external affairs director Mo Metcalf-Fisher said on X: “This would do nothing to improve public safety, but it will seriously harm the rural economy and undermine conservation.”

There are 526,000 shotgun certificate holders in Britain and 147,000 people permitted to hold rifles, The Telegraph reports.

Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner told the House of Commons in April: “Rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are important to our economy, contributing over £315 billion a year to England alone.

“Defra has not made a formal assessment on contribution of clay pigeon shooting to the rural economy; however, we know the rural economy is diverse with 86% of rural businesses unrelated to agriculture, forestry or fishing.

“The Government recognises the economic benefits that shooting sports such as clay pigeon shooting can bring to rural communities and that it can be an important part of a local economy which provides direct and indirect employment opportunities.”