Bereaved families have strongly criticized Rupert Lowe, the leader of Restore Britain, for minimizing the 1996 Dunblane tragedy as merely “one murder”. Lowe, a right-wing figure who was expelled from Reform following a dispute with Nigel Farage, referenced the horrific school shooting while discussing gun control in an interview with Joe Rogan, a renowned podcaster.
During the conversation, Lowe mentioned that handguns in the UK were prohibited “because there was a murder up in Dunblane”. Rogan questioned, “One murder?”, to which Lowe reiterated, “One murder”. Lowe expressed dissatisfaction that his father had his handguns confiscated as a result of significant gun law reforms enacted after the deadliest mass shooting in British history.
The Dunblane massacre occurred on March 13, 1996, when Thomas Hamilton, the gunman, fatally shot sixteen children aged five and six, along with their teacher Gwen Mayor, during a primary one PE class. Additionally, twelve children and three adults sustained injuries before Hamilton took his own life.
Kenny Ross, whose daughter Joanna, aged five, was among the victims, criticized Lowe’s remarks, emphasizing the profound impact of the Dunblane tragedy and the importance of stricter gun regulations in creating a safer society. Similarly, Jack Crozier, whose sister Emma, also five years old, perished in the massacre, condemned Lowe’s description of the tragic event as “one murder” on a prominent podcast.
The insensitive comments made by Lowe sparked outrage among politicians, with Labour MP Chris Kane denouncing Lowe’s statements as deeply offensive. Scottish Tory MSP Stephen Kerr highlighted the severity of the tragedy, emphasizing that it was not merely “one murder” but a mass murder in a primary school setting.
Reflecting on the aftermath of the Dunblane massacre, Clackmannanshire and Dunblane SNP MSP Keith Brown labeled Lowe’s comments as despicable, emphasizing the positive impact of the subsequent Snowdrop Campaign, which led to stricter handgun ownership regulations. Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie called for an immediate apology from Lowe for his dismissive remarks regarding the tragic incident.
The Dunblane tragedy prompted the UK to implement some of the strictest firearms laws globally. Following the massacre, John Major’s government imposed a ban on most handguns in 1997, which was later expanded to include all cartridge ammunition handguns by Tony Blair’s Labour government the same year.
A spokesperson for Restore Britain defended Lowe’s comments, stating that he was referring to a single incident.