11 Jan 2016 – Vicky Ford MEP, “rapporteur” for the EU’s proposed ban on semi-automatic firearms, has criticised the first draft of the legislation.
Speaking on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire last Thursday, Ford – MEP for the East of England – said the gun ban plan was “very badly worded” and “lacked clarity”.
She also pointed out that the weapons used in the Charlie Hebdo attacks were illegally converted blank firers, while saying that “alarm weapons … were being converted into weapons that could be used” in Britain in years gone by.
Ford also visited the historic aviation museum at Duxford, speaking to curators of the Imperial War Museum (who operate Duxford) and the Royal Armouries, who explained to her that the deactivation proposals would destroy their historic collections.
You can listen to the three minute interview via Ford’s Facebook page.
In other comments on her page, Ford also revealed that it would take about two months for her report to the EU Commission to be completed before a vote, which she thinks will probably take place in June.
UK Shooting News urges shooters to be polite and constructive in comments and messages addressed to Ford, as she appears, so far, to be listening to the licensed firearms community’s fears – a rarity from any British politician.
Nonetheless, regular UKSN readers will recall that Ford’s party leader, David Cameron, called for all semi-automatic firearms to be banned, while Home Secretary Theresa May echoed that call.
Despite Ford’s evident open-mindedness, with Cameron – who is strongly pro-EU – seeking to “renegotiate” Britain’s EU membership ahead of a national referendum in 2017, it is possible that Ford may be ordered to fully endorse the gun ban plan as a way for Cameron to curry favour with his EU masters.
Lead image: Vicky Ford MEP/Facebook.
UK Shooting News 
Interesting point re the Royal Armouries and Imperial War Museums, I would have thought given that the Museums have certificates for live firing firearms in their own right – and clearly still have S5 weapons in their collections (not necessarily on display but certainly they are shot on their own ranges) then why would this affect them? Clearly I’m missing something. Regardless – good on said organisations for discussing the deactivation standards, although I must confess that I thought that was coming into force as of April 2016 in any case?
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This is the last 50 years of gun control in the UK:
Give us some of your guns
OK
Give us a load more
OK
Give us your knives, tasers, stun guns, batons, pepper spray and spoons
Erm hang on
Oh and some more guns please
Wait a fucking minute
Hm… there was still a duck shot in Essex last year… right more guns!
They just take take and take.
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These proposals will not stop terrorist’s obtaining illegal firearms this will only effect the legal gun owners from enjoying the sport of shooting and have a devastating impact on the sport
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I thought semi and full auto weapons had been banned here in the UK since Dunblane and Hungerford?
The issue I have with these proposals is the call to ban ownership of deactivated weapons as well as “anything resembling them”. This kills Living History from WW1 onwards as well as Air Soft.
We have some of the strictest deactivation requirements globally and to attempt to reactivate one would cost too much both in ££’s and in risk to life and limb. I have written to Ms Ford and the other members of the committee explaining this and the severe unintended consequences in loss of these hobbies inc. employment and tax revenues. I hope they listen.
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Semi auto firearms in 22LR and semi auto shotguns are still allowed in the UK. Only semi auto pistols and full bore rifles have been banned in the Uk. Pistols from 1997 and full bore rifles in 1988, that is why there is a growing movement in the Uk from some firearms organisations (Firearmsuk) and gun owners to scrap these latest firearms acts since they don’t bring any added benefit or safety on the general public.
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