NIGEL Farage has doubled down on previous remarks made about “ludicrous” handgun laws that were brought in after a school shooting in Dunblane in 1996.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has “doubled down” on remarks he made claiming that handgun laws brought in after the Dunblane Massacre were “ludicrous”.
In 2014, Farage claimed the tightened restrictions on ownership were “ludicrous” and said it was “crackers” the British Olympic pistol team had to train abroad.
Farage also said as Ukip leader that the restrictions on small arms put in place after the massacre were a “kneejerk” response.
He claimed there was “almost no link” between “sensible, decent people” keeping handguns under a licensing system and gun crime on the streets, and insisted on repealing the ban.
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“I think that we need a proper gun licensing system, which to a large extent I think we already have, and I think the ban on handguns is ludicrous,” Farage said, in 2014.
On Thursday, March 19, The Courier reportedly asked the Reform UK leader if he regretted the comments he made, or if he stood by his views.
Farage replied: “All I said was it was ludicrous that the British Olympic shooting team had to go to Calais to practice, when we had armouries all over this country where guns of all kinds could perfectly, safely be kept and used, under lock and key, and the public have no access to them.
“This is, I’m afraid, the world we’re living in.
“We’re living in a world where politicians think their job is to make government bigger, taxes higher, and control every aspect of our lives.”
Farage was criticised for his divisive remarks in 2014.
The new comments come just a week after the 20th anniversary of Dunblane last week, where Scottish politicians paid tribute to families and victims.
A sister of a victim of Dunblane also warned that UK gun laws are “at risk”
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She warned that while UK laws are strict they are “at risk” amid changes in society.
She said: “The world is bigger in so many ways and inevitably cultures shift too. Something we’ve noticed is a shift in attitudes towards guns.
“An example of this can be seen in the American-style shooting ranges you can see in gun clubs here in Scotland, in video games – you can even 3D-print guns.
“Our laws are strict, but they are not perfect, and they are also at risk. Whenever we allow easier access to guns, we create loopholes that allow these dangerous weapons to fall into the wrong hands."
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