Rupert Lowe, leader of the Restore Britain party and a former Reform UK MP, has come under criticism after describing the 1996 Dunblane school massacre as “one murder”. In interviews reported by outlets, Lowe links his characterisation to opposition to the UK’s handgun laws introduced after the attack. He says the ban was implemented “because there was a murder up in Dunblane” and further argues that licensing rules make gun ownership excessively difficult. The comments were made in the context of discussion of the handgun ban that followed the killing of 16 children aged five and six and their teacher at Dunblane Primary School on 13 March 1996, when the gunman, Thomas Hamilton, later killed himself. During the attack, 15 other children were also injured before the deaths. Scottish politicians quoted in coverage criticise Lowe’s wording as minimising the scale of the atrocity. They say the killings involved multiple victims and that the remarks are disrespectful to those affected by the tragedy.
Rupert Lowe says Dunblane was “one murder” while criticising UK handgun ban
Rupert Lowe, leader of the Restore Britain party and a former Reform UK MP, has come under criticism after describing the 1996 Dunblane school massacre as “one murder”. In interviews reported by outle...
- Rupert Lowe, leader of Restore Britain and a former Reform UK MP, described the Dunblane massacre as “one murder”.
- He made the comment while criticising the UK’s post-Dunblane handgun ban and associated licensing rules.
- The Dunblane Primary School attack occurred on 13 March 1996.
- The gunman killed 16 children and their teacher, and 15 other children were injured; the gunman later died by suicide.
- Politicians including Scottish MSPs criticised Lowe’s wording as minimising the scale of the killings.
Rupert Lowe, leader of the Restore Britain party.Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe has been slammed after he described the Dunblane massacre as “one murder”.The right-wing former Reform UK MP made the remark while being interviewed by Joe Rogan, the world’s most popular podcaster.The pair were discussing the ban on handguns in the UK, which was introduced following the killing of 16 children aged five and six, and their teacher, by Thomas Hamilton at Dunblane Primary School on March 13, 1996.Another 15 children and three adults were injured before Hamilton killed himself.Lowe told Rogan the ban was brought in “because there was a murder up in Dunblane”.When Rogan then asked the Great Yarmouth MP: “One murder?”, Lowe replied: “One murder.”🚨🏴 WATCH: Rupert Lowe refers to the Dunblane Massacre as “one murder” Dunblane occurred in 1996, when a gunman entered a school and murdered 16 students and their teacher pic.twitter.com/4o3qag2iRb— Politics Global (@PolitlcsGlobal) July 9, 2026Keir Brown, the SNP MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, said: “Rupert Lowe is a stain on our politics and his comments are beyond despicable.“Sixteen children and a teacher were shot dead while 15 more children were wounded.“Despite these hideous remarks from Rupert Lowe, the Snowdrop Campaign that followed that terrible day ensured a ban on the private ownership of most handguns – that is the proud legacy of the bereaved families and the local community.“Their courage and determination in the aftermath of the attack is something we should never betray and our community will never let the likes of Rupert Lowe do exactly that.”Scottish Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr said: “One murder? Sixteen kids and their teacher were murdered. Fifteen other primary school children were wounded.“My children’s school, about 15 minutes from Dunblane, was locked down that day. They’ll never forget being kept in the gym hall until everyone learned the gunman was dead.“They’ll never forget the teachers trying to hold themselves together while reassuring frightened children.“To reduce that atrocity to ‘one murder’ is deeply insulting. It wasn’t a single murder. It was a mass murder. In a primary school.“Almost as disturbing was the tone – one of disbelief, even mockery, that anyone could respond by tightening gun laws.“This wasn’t some obscure historical event. It happened in 1996, when Lowe was 38 years old.“He should have known what happened on that terrifying day in Dunblane.“For anyone who remembers that day, hearing it dismissed so casually is genuinely shocking.”Lowe told Rogan that he was opposed to the UK’s strict gun laws.“Effectively, they are trying to make that very difficult through the licensing laws for guns,” he said.“My father used to shoot pistols for Oxford University and he’s dead now, bless him, but all his pistols were taken away, the pistols he used to shoot with at Oxford University. I mean, we now have a society which needs radical change.”Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.Related...Rupert Lowe Gets Owned By Minister After Calling For Harassment Probe
1 month agoRupert Lowe made the comment as he criticised tough gun laws introduced after the tragedy three decades ago.
1 month agoRupert Lowe made the comment as he criticised tough gun laws introduced after the tragedy three decades ago.
1 month agoRupert Lowe criticised the ban of handguns in the UK, saying it was "because there was a murder in Dunblane".
1 month ago
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