Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander has pledged to honour the memory of the victims of the Dunblane massacre by maintaining the UK's strict gun laws. Speaking to the Press Association, he recalled the horror of the 1996 tragedy, when Thomas Hamilton killed 16 children and their teacher at Dunblane Primary School.
Mr Alexander highlighted the consensus across Scottish society and all political parties at the time that a ban on handguns was necessary, describing it as “one small glimmer of light in the enveloping darkness”. He expressed deep admiration for the parents who campaigned for tighter controls following the atrocity, which led to a ban on most handguns introduced by John Major's Conservative government in 1997, later extended by Tony Blair's Labour government.
The minister said that those who remember the day share the commitment of the parents and wider Scottish society to get policy right on gun controls. He added that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke “very movingly” in the House of Commons this week, acknowledging the scale and weight of the loss endured by families in Dunblane.
Mr Alexander concluded: “We never want to see a repeat of the horror that unfolded that day in Dunblane Primary School.” He emphasised his determination to honour the victims' memory by continuing to uphold tight gun laws that have been critical to Scotland's safety over the past 30 years.
