Shotgun license change.

[philpot 5,138]

I am sure some of you will be aware that this government is pushing toward a complete change from a section 2 shotgun certificate over to a section 1 fac.  At this stage we do not know how this will work out but there are many organisations, clubs, shooting grounds, gun trade and certificate holders contacting by email or letter their MP to lodge an 'sensible and feasible' reason not to accept this from happening.

There are over half a million shotgun certificate holders in this country so when you consider that only 12,000 people lodged an objection to the proposed lead ban, the government will think they are going to have an easy win.  This proposed new policy will be put up for consultation but until that happens we do not know the exact plan.  WE MUST WITHOUT QUESTION write to our MPs and encourage every shooting friend to do the same.

For those of you who are on facebook, please join a new group called 'Support our sport'  which had over 1000 members join in the first three days of it's launch. Please join the group as you will pick up a lot of information to help you to become fully informed.  I have both SGC and FAC tickets but that will not protect me, we have to join forces to object because even if you have an fac ticket, does not mean you are safe.  It is 100% clear this is a way of removing guns and licenses from the general public so they can say We have taken x-thousand guns from the streets but of course they are not from the streets, they will be from responsible license holders like you and myself.

I will copy some of the responses that have been done so far. I am sorry the following is reversed type not sure why but read it anyway please guys.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗴𝘂𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

A quick heads up for anyone in the shooting world who has not been following the detail.

Earlier this year the Government confirmed it intends to consult on “improving and aligning the controls on shotguns with other firearms.” Shooting organisations are now being told that includes moving shotguns into a Section 1 style licensing system. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘁 and no bill in Parliament but the direction of travel is pretty clear.

In the meantime, a lot has already changed:

• Licence fees have jumped for both firearm and shotgun certificates.

• From August, everyone applying for or renewing a certificate needs 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀, and there are tighter medical and domestic abuse checks.

If shotguns are pushed fully into a Section 1 style regime, that is likely to mean:

• Police approval for 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗴𝘂𝗻 rather than buying on your SGC and notifying later.

• 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 on your certificate, with changes needing police sign off.

• More hoops to jump through for young shots and for handing guns down within families.

• A big extra workload for already struggling licensing departments, which means even longer waits and more cost.

All this is being sold under the banner of “public safety,” despite:

• Around half a million shotgun certificates already being tightly controlled and monitored.

• Legal firearms accounting for a tiny fraction of overall violent crime.

• The existing tragedy cases largely being about failures to apply the current law properly, not a lack of laws.

None of that means we should be complacent. Quite the opposite. When the consultation finally appears, it is probably the most important one the shooting community has seen in decades.

So, if you shoot in any capacity; clay, game, wildfowling, pest control, keepering, vermin work on farms, please:

• 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘆𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 on shotgun and firearms controls.

• 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 when it opens, explaining how you shoot, what you use shotguns for, and what the impact of turning them into Section 1 would actually be.

• 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗣 calmly and factually, making the same points.

• Encourage your club, ground or syndicate to do the same and share guidance from BASC, CPSA, Countryside Alliance, GTA etc.

Sitting this out and assuming someone else will sort it is exactly how we lose. Engaging with the process, in big numbers and with solid arguments, is the only way we have

 

any chance of keeping a system that is both safe and work

 

[philpot 5,138]

Here is a link to the fb group 

https://www.(!64.56:886/groups/supportoursport

[mitre 443]

I don't think you can stop anyone with bad intentions of getting one with any licence or not I know some rules in the COVID did go lax and there was errors there as a large backlog and police was overstretched with other matters you look at the one lad that planned to kill his family he had a licence and meets the dealer in the carpark by his mom's flat or the moors murderer she was going to a gun club and the instructor noticed she had a very short fuse