Rupert Lowe, leader of the Restore Britain party, sparked fury in July 2026 by describing the Dunblane school shooting as "one murder" during an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast. He was criticising the UK's ban on handguns, which he claimed came after "there was a murder in Dunblane". In reality, 16 children and their teacher, Gwen Mayor, were killed in the 1996 mass shooting at Dunblane Primary School in Scotland. Another 12 children and three adults were injured. The gunman, Thomas Hamilton, carried four legally-owned handguns and 743 rounds of ammunition. The tragedy led to a nationwide ban on private ownership of most handguns.
In 1997, the Conservative government passed the Firearms (Amendment) Act, prohibiting the private possession of handguns over .22 calibre. The following year, the Labour government extended this to a near-total ban on handguns. Today, it is illegal for civilians in Great Britain to own handguns for private use, with very limited exceptions for certain sporting pistols in Northern Ireland. The ban was designed to prevent a repeat of the Dunblane massacre, where a licensed gun owner used legally-held weapons to commit mass murder.
“Explaining the UK's handgun ban after the Dunblane massacre and the recent controversy.”
Kenny Ross, whose daughter Joanna was killed at Dunblane, said of Lowe's comments: "Thirty years have passed and people forget what we had to go through. I wouldn't want anyone else to go through that. It's people like him that are very ignorant and selfish." Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr called Lowe's remarks "astonishingly insensitive and profoundly disrespectful to the victims", adding that "to describe Dunblane as 'one murder' is not simply inaccurate – it diminishes one of the darkest days in Scotland's modern history".
For UK readers, the handgun ban is one of the most significant gun control measures in the country. It has become a symbol of public safety versus individual rights. Supporters argue it has helped prevent further mass shootings, while opponents, like Lowe, claim it infringes on personal freedoms. The debate reflects broader questions about how societies balance liberty and protection, particularly in the wake of tragedy.
Q: What is the current law on handguns in the UK? Civilians in Great Britain are banned from owning handguns for private use. The ban was introduced in two stages after the 1996 Dunblane massacre, with the Firearms (Amendment) Acts of 1997. Limited exemptions exist for some sporting pistols, but private ownership of handguns is effectively illegal.
Q: Why did the Dunblane shooting lead to a handgun ban? The gunman, Thomas Hamilton, used four legally-owned handguns to kill 16 children and their teacher. The public outcry and the Cullen Inquiry's recommendations led the government to conclude that private handgun ownership posed an unacceptable risk to public safety.
Q: What did Rupert Lowe say about Dunblane? On the Joe Rogan podcast, Lowe stated that the handgun ban was because "there was a murder in Dunblane", and repeated the claim when Rogan clarified it was "one murder". He later defended his remarks through a spokesperson, saying he was "clearly referring to one incident".
What happens next? Lowe has faced calls to apologise from victims' families and politicians, but has not done so. His comments have reignited debate about UK gun laws, but no immediate legislative changes are expected. The controversy highlights the ongoing sensitivity around the Dunblane tragedy as the 30th anniversary passed in 2026.
