KATE HOEY's TAKE ON GUN CRIME
Ex-Sports Minister Kate Hoey MP frequently
raises the issue of gun crime in Parliament, but seemingly for a vested
interest. In a recent comment, relating to Policing in London, she
said:
"The hon. Gentleman mentioned earlier the
increase in gun crime. Does he agree that those of us on both sides
of the house who, when the ban on handguns was introduced, said it would
make no difference to illegal guns on the streets, but only discriminate
against law-abiding, decent pistol shooters who could no longer compete
legally in this country, have been proved right?"
Ms Hoey is very quick to deride the handgun
ban, but her opinion must be viewed with significant scepticism since not
only is she an unquestioning supporter of the shooting lobby but, contrary
to what she implies in this comment, gun crime both in London and
throughout the country is actually falling
not increasing (according to the official Home Office figures, which are
reproduced on this website).
Gun Control Network finds Ms Hoey's
consistent and unwarranted misuse of statistics to be inexcusable.
In her unequivocal support to the shooting lobby and their desire to use
the London Olympics as an excuse to reverse the handgun ban, a measure
that her Government introduced in response to the wishes of the majority
of the population, she seems prepared not only to distort the truth but
also to fuel public fears of a gun culture in order to allow a minority to
get back their handguns. She is entitled to her views, but it is
totally unacceptable that as an MP she is prepared to turn the statistics on their
head.
As the incidents we report on this website
show, no one should be complacent about gun crime in Great Britain and
there are many more measures that can be taken. The last thing that
is needed is for a politician to inflate the level of gun crime,
especially if this is solely in support of the case of people who
themselves want to use guns.
Written May 2007
