DO OUR MPS SUPPORT THE GUN TRADE?

One of BASC’s objectives is to ensure cross-party political support for shooting. Conor O’Gorman looks at what’s involved

AUTUMN is an especially busy period for BASC’s political team because we host a rural reception event in partnership with the Angling Trust at the Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Labour Party conferences.

Hayley Williams, BASC’s communications and public affairs coordinator, manages all the logistics leading up to the conferences, and I asked her for an insight on what’s involved behind the scenes to ensure well-run and productive events.

It all starts around March every year when conference dates are announced. The myriad arrangements for us include booking venues for the reception events, securing speakers, inviting media, MPs and their staff, organising advertising in conference literature for the events, and circulating briefings on the key policy issues for shooting.

In the last few weeks leading up to these events much can change that affects the planning, and it can be a bit frantic accommodating last-minute changes, with so many people involved. At the events themselves we have photographers present and we take notes of the speeches as they are delivered. We then work with the political party press teams ahead of publishing our press releases following each event.

As well as supporting our rural receptions, BASC staff also attend other conference events as an opportunity to meet as many MPs as possible and to network with the representatives of other organisations with overlapping interests to our own. It is always an intense three-week period with staff moving around between Bournemouth, Manchester and Liverpool.

BASC has been attending party conferences and organising fringe events throughout its history. In the last decade or so BASC and the Angling Trust have worked in partnership hosting the rural receptions at the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservatives Party conferences, showcasing all that is positive about the contribution of participants in angling and shooting in protecting and improving the biodiversity of our waterways, marshes, fields, woods and uplands.

Gamebird releasing

At this year’s Liberal Democrats conference we highlighted the key issue of gamebird releasing in both England and Wales.

The Labour Party gave a clear endorsement of “sustainable shooting conducted according to the law” at our rural reception as it announced its intention to create a “Nature Manifesto” ahead of the next general election. Shadow Environment Secretary Steve Reed said the Labour party wanted a “respectful relationship” with the countryside.

“In 1997 and 2001, Labour was the biggest political party in the countryside,” he said. “We had more rural and coastal seats than any other party. That hasn’t been the case since then, but we want to be the party of the countryside again.

“Keir Starmer wants that to happen and we know that means we have to develop a very respectful relationship with the countryside. That means people from urban seats like me not telling people who live in and enjoy the countryside how they should live their lives.

“That respectful approach is absolutely necessary if we’re going to form a government and then be a successful government. And that includes us supporting shooting that is sustainable and conducted according to the law.”

Firearms licensing

spoke of her support for shooting at our Conservative Party rural reception.

Coffey said: “This is one of the most important events of the week for me because it’s with the people who really care about our countryside. Shooting is really important to the success of the countryside and I can assure you that the Conservatives are on your side.”

Commenting on policy developments since the murders in Plymouth, the Minister explained that

“there was a tension and a reaction, which needed to happen, and which could have made it much harder for people to have shotguns.” She also said that “government understands that it is about having a sensible partnership on this approach; recognising, of course, that the police need to do their job well, while being mindful that there should be a trust in the shooting community.”

Those comments were seized upon by the media and lobbyists, namely the Mirror, Plymouth Herald and the Gun Control Network, with inaccurate and lurid headlines.

However, the fact is that the Home Office decided which recommendations to take forward from the coroner’s report following the Plymouth murders in its recent firearms licensing consultation, and ill-advised suggestions to put shotguns on the same footing as Section 1 firearms were not included in the proposals, and rightly so.

Political opportunity

BASC’s engagement at conferences, and all year round, helps counter the arguments of those seeking to use political opportunity to commit their party to policies that would undermine shooting.

At a time when the gun trade is under considerable pressure from debanking and a squeeze on commercial insurance provision, as well as other untoward developments, this is the time to reach out and not retreat.

Please contact your current MP (and with a general election looming, any candidate MPs in your constituency) and invite them to your store or place of work to showcase what you do and how you support jobs and the local community in what you do.

But of course, it is not only MPs that have a say on new laws impacting our shooting interests and livelihoods. With increased decision-making powers granted to devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, there are lots of opportunities and threats for shooting.

BASC’s country teams are representing shooting at all levels and they need your voice and support.

In all of this, one thing seems clear to me: apathy rules. So we really do need some people that are up for the fight‚ and the gun trade is in the front line. So if you want to get more involved in shooting politics please email me at conor.ogorman@basc.org.uk and let’s get something done! GTN GTN

Last chance for lead ammunition?

On 11 October the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published its final public consultation on lead ammunition restriction proposals, which runs until 10 December 2023. The good news is that the proposed ban on lead airgun pellets has been dropped. However, proposals remain to ban most uses of lead shot and lead bullets outdoors. This is our last chance to influence the final proposals that the HSE submits to the government for consideration. A full briefing will be provided in the next issue of GTN

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