A new law will be discussed in Parliament with the aim to ban the keeping of pump-action shotguns in homes, after the tragic shooting in Keyham in Plymouth in August 2021.
Luke Pollard, the MP representing Keyham, will be introducing a law called the Firearms and Hate Crime Bill, to Parliament on Wednesday [02/03/2022]. Mr Pollard has been working closely with the families of the victims, the local community and local elected representatives to produce a set of proposals to stop any community ever going through what the Keyham community experienced happening again.
The first part of Keyham’s Law being presented by Mr Pollard proposes a ban on keeping pump-action shotguns in homes, limiting storage to gun clubs and gun shops. It will seek to link mental health records to gun certificates, to ensure that anyone experiencing a mental health crisis does not have access to a gun. The Bill also seeks to make violent misogyny a hate crime, so crimes where the motivation is hatred towards women is an aggravated offence at sentencing.
Some of the families of the victims are due to attend to Parliament to be present when Mr Pollard presents the Bill. They will be meeting with Crime and Policing Minister Kit Malthouse MP on the same day.
Luke Pollard, the MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport said:
“It’s now been over six months since the tragic shooting in Keyham in Plymouth. I’ve been working closely with the families about how we can ensure no community ever experiences what we did last year.
“I want to see changes in gun laws informed by the evidence from the Inquest and police investigations. That may take some time so today I am presenting the first part of Keyham’s Law with the hope that further measures can be proposed after careful consideration from these investigations. I promised the community in Keyham that the law around guns must change and my bill is the first step in our campaign to keep people safe.
“My bill would ban the keeping of pump-action weapons in homes. I see no good reason why anyone would need a pump-action shotgun to be kept in their homes. I want to see stricter rules on gun ownership, to stop other communities going through the pain that we have.”
Councillor for Devonport Bill Stevens said:
“Luke’s campaign to limit these dangerous weapons is essential. There’s no excuse for them to be kept by ordinary people at home and the sooner we have a common sense approach, the better. We all want to live safely and this step from Luke will a huge contribution to that. I hope those who lost loved ones in the horrific shooting will take some comfort that if this campaign succeeds, their losses will not have been in vain.”
Local Keyham Resident and member of the Keyham Neighbourhood Watch Laura Mervyn said:“Since August 12th, our community has been left in shock. Guns are not toys – they should not be treated as something cool, or ordinary in any way. “Gun laws have to move with the times. There should be real precautions in place ensure people being given gun licenses are properly vetted. Changes to gun law need to include a focus on mental wellbeing and it should be reviewed regularly. “No other community should have to suffer because a gun slips into the wrong hands.”