Strike Team

Well done and thanks to Graham for all the effort he's put in to argue our case with the Scottish government.

The sole purpose of airgun licencing is to win votes for career politicians. The current law which only allows registered firearm dealers to sell airguns commercially does a very good job of keeping them out of the wrong hands. Registered dealers are careful who they sell to - I have personally seen one Glasgow gun shop owner refuse to sell an air rifle to two dodgy characters, and I've heard of other dealers dong the same.

Airgun licencing will make it harder for new people to get into the sport, and will be another bureaucratic load on the police, who are already seriously hindered in their efforts to protect the public by excessive paperwork.

There may be a consultation on airgun licencing once firm proposals have been decided - we need as many individuals and clubs as possible to respond. The next step will be letters to our constituency and regional list MSPs. I've written to MPs and MSPs and had letters published in newspapers opposing further restrictions in the past, and will be writing more letters when the time comes.