Rupert Lowe, leader of the Restore party, has sparked widespread outrage after incorrectly stating that the Dunblane massacre involved only "one murder" during an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, the world's most popular podcast.
Lowe's Comments on Joe Rogan Podcast
When discussing the UK's strict gun laws, Lowe told Rogan that handguns were banned "because there was a murder up in Dunblane." Rogan sought clarification, asking, "One murder?" to which Lowe replied, "One murder." The exchange has drawn sharp criticism from politicians and the public.
The Dunblane massacre, which occurred on March 13, 1996, at Dunblane Primary School, remains the deadliest mass shooting in British history. Thomas Hamilton killed 16 children aged five and six, along with their teacher, Gwen Mayor. Additionally, 15 other children and three adults were injured before Hamilton took his own life.
Political Backlash
Scottish Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr described Lowe's comments as "shocking." He stated: "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."
Kerr added: "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."
SNP Response
Clackmannanshire and Dunblane SNP MSP Keith Brown condemned Lowe's remarks, calling him "a stain on our politics" and labeling the comments "beyond despicable." Brown noted that 16 children and a teacher were shot dead, with 15 more wounded. He highlighted the Snowdrop Campaign that followed the tragedy, which led to a ban on the private ownership of most handguns. "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," Brown said.
Impact on Gun Laws
The Dunblane massacre shocked the nation and prompted major reform of UK gun laws. In 1997, John Major's Conservative government introduced a ban on most handguns. Later that year, Tony Blair's Labour government expanded the ban to include all cartridge ammunition handguns, resulting in some of the strictest firearms legislation in the world.
During the podcast, Lowe also discussed his father's pistol shooting for Oxford University, saying all his pistols were taken away under the new laws. He criticized the current licensing system and called for "radical change" in society.
