Key facts
- Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe described the Dunblane school shooting as "one murder" on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
- Lowe stated the handgun ban in the UK was due to "one murder" in Dunblane.
- The 1996 Dunblane shooting resulted in the deaths of 16 children and their teacher, with 15 other children wounded.
- Politicians have condemned Lowe's remarks as insensitive, disrespectful, and callous.
Rupert Lowe, the leader of the Restore Britain party and MP for Great Yarmouth, has drawn widespread criticism for describing the 1996 Dunblane school shooting as "one murder" during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Lowe made the remarks while discussing gun laws in the UK, stating that handguns were banned in the late 1990s "because there was a murder up in Dunblane." He further elaborated that it was "one murder" and mentioned his father's pistols were taken away after the incident.
In the Dunblane tragedy on March 13, 1996, a gunman killed 16 children aged five or six, and their teacher, Gwen Mayor, while injuring 15 other primary school pupils. The massacre led to a nationwide ban on private handgun ownership in the UK.
Politicians have strongly condemned Lowe's comments. Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr described the remarks as "astonishingly insensitive and profoundly disrespectful to the victims of Dunblane, their families and everyone in Scotland who remembers that horrific day." He emphasized that "Sixteen children and their teacher were murdered, and 15 other primary school children were wounded," adding that there is "no excuse for reducing the murder of 16 children and their teacher to 'one murder'." Kerr also criticized the "dismissive tone" and "casual and ignorant" manner in which Lowe spoke about the event.
Local MSP Keith Brown called Lowe's comments "beyond despicable" and stated that Lowe was "a stain on our politics." He highlighted the legacy of the Snowdrop Campaign, which followed the attack and ensured a ban on most private handgun ownership, attributing this success to the "courage and determination" of the bereaved families and the local community.
Restore Britain and Rupert Lowe have been approached for comment.