Local MP urges PM to “stand with grieving families”

Government "must act quick" on firearms reforms

Plymouth MP Luke Pollard has urged the prime minister to “stand with grieving families” and implement stronger gun laws as soon as possible to prevent another tragedy like the shootings in Keyham two years ago.

The Labour member for Sutton and Devonport is calling for a quick government response to its firearms reform consultation before, he says, a general election is called and the issue is put in the “difficult box.”

The government announced a reform after recommendations by the coroner following the inquest into the deaths of five people at the hands of gunman Jake Davison in August 2021. A jury found ‘a catastrophic failure’ by Devon and Cornwall police in allowing Davison, who had a history of violent outbursts, to have a gun had contributed to their deaths.

Speaking during prime minister’s questions this week, Mr Pollard said: “Two years ago in Plymouth, we lost five people in Britain’s worst mass shooting in a decade.

“The government has finally consulted on firearms reforms, but after pressure from shooting groups, even these sensible reforms could be watered down.

So will the prime minister bow down to lobbyists from the shooting industry or will he stand with grieving families and Plymouth to prevent a tragedy like ours from ever happening again – with stronger gun laws.”

Rishi Sunak, who said his thoughts were with the families of the people who were killed, said information-sharing between GPs and the police had improved and the application process tightened up. People were not given firearms without their medical details being checked and better checks were carried out when applications for firearms were made including social media checks.”

He said the home office is considering responses to the consultation and will make an announcement in due course.

Afterwards Mr Pollard said there was a determined effort from the gun lobby to keep the status quo.

“The gun lobby is arguing that the current rules around shooting and guns are okay, that everything is fine and that there is no need to change them.

Our experience in Plymouth is the opposite of that, that the rules have to be brought into the twenty-first century.

“Despite the numerical advantage of the people who have guns compared to those who of us who are calling for sensible gun reforms we must learn from the lessons to stop any other community experiencing what we have.”

The MP said he understands it will take time to sift through responses to the consultation, which closed over the summer, but he wants an announcement by Christmas.

“I don’t want this to be put on hold in the ‘difficult box’ as it will be if a general election is called. If we do not move on this quickly someone with a shotgun will use it to harm or kill someone, we need to take action now.”

Mr Pollard said the government had taken on board most of the recommendations from the Keyham inquest, but he wants all of them adopted.

He said families want to see the full cost of processing gun licences transferred to gun owners. Currently, the £79 application fee and £50 renewal fee is a fraction of the cost.

“If we are to get a better system we need to make sure there are enough police officers and staff in the operations team to assist the applicants who want gun licences and we know Devon and Cornwall police catastrophically failed at that.”

At a recent meeting of the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime panel police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez said she is not in favour of ‘full recovery cost’ as it “drove inefficiencies and put the burden on the customer”.

But she said the £79 fee (which covered five years) was “absolutely out of kilter with public feeling”.

“It cannot be justified that it is only that over a five-year period. For people who don’t use guns in their day-to-day lives, it doesn’t feel right anyway, and gun users accept it’s got to change. The licence cost has not been reviewed since 2012.”