The recent landslide victory by the Labour Party was well anticipated by opinion polls and has ushered in a significant swing in the political landscape, prompting the UK firearms and hunting industries to evaluate the potential impacts of the new government’s policies. Gun Trade Insider has collected detailed reactions from prominent figures within the sector, assessing their perspectives on navigating the changes under Labour’s rule.
Navigating new leadership
The appointment of Dame Diana Johnson as the new minister for crime, policing, and fire is central to industry thoughts. Known for her evidence-based decision-making, Dame Diana’s role is seen as crucial. Simon West highlights in his analysis on page 16, “Dame Diana is an intelligent, evidence-based decision maker who has no over-zealous ideological desire to damage shooting.” This portrayal suggests a potential for balanced policies that could accommodate the interests of the shooting community. Only time will tell.
Reflecting on hunting’s future
Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, articulates the complex relationship between electoral politics and hunting issues: “On the one hand, issues like hunting might seem an irrelevance to such electoral calculations, but on the other, they send out the strongest possible signals about how a political party sees itself and how a government intends to rule. Is all the talk of respect for the countryside and the acknowledgements of past failings real, or is Labour going to revert to petty political point scoring in the countryside? The first King’s Speech of the new government, delivered to Parliament, did not include any mention of anti-hunting legislation.”
Tim further explains the nuanced position hunting occupies in the political agenda: “The absence of hunting from the King’s Speech was not wholly surprising given so many more obvious political priorities, but it does not mean legislation might not still be imminent. The government has, as it always does, reserved the right to bring forward ‘other measures’ than those specifically mentioned in the King’s Speech, meaning an individual MP could bring forward a Private Members’ Bill and there could be attempts to amend other legislation to attack hunting.”
Bonner stresses the importance of proactivity within the hunting community to safeguard its future: “The government’s agenda does, however, suggest that we have a period in which hunting can continue to address the perception of trail hunting, which is being used to justify further legislation. Given the government’s manifesto and its majority there is no question that there will be legislation at some point. The question now is how the government intends to define its commitment to ‘ban trail hunting’ in law. The image hunting projects over the coming seasons will have a significant impact on the government’s thinking and how far it believes it has to go.”
Economic contributions and strategic engagements
Christopher Graffius, executive director of communications and public affairs at BASC emphasises the economic and environmental importance of shooting: “BASC is ready to work with the incoming Labour government to ensure that shooting’s value to the UK economy and the contribution it makes to the conservation of our countryside is fully represented and acknowledged. Shooting is worth £3.3bn to the UK economy, generates the equivalent of 67,000 jobs, and contributes £500m worth of conservation value each year. These are numbers that can’t be ignored.”
He outlines the proactive approach BASC intends to take: “We look forward to building on the contacts we have made in Westminster over the course of the last parliament and will be seeking meetings with ministers as early as possible. Achieving positive outcomes for shooting remains BASC’s priority and we will work with all sides in the forthcoming parliament to achieve results which benefit shooting. We will use the information received from our election platform to ensure we build relationships with the new intake of MPs in this parliament to ensure we influence decisions that affect shooting and help shape the future for the economy and rural communities.”
Addressing challenges and opportunities
Mike Hurney, chairman of The Shooting Party, outlines the immediate concerns and broader economic context: “There are undoubtedly genuine concerns about some of the likely policies the Starmer government will introduce, such as the full recovery of costs pricing model for firearms licensing that almost certainly means very significant cost increases for the shooter. If you combine this with the omnishambles that has been the Firearms Licensing “service” since Covid-19, where in the West Midlands alone, new grants can take up to six months, the barriers to new entrants to the sport and those simply renewing their licences are very formidable indeed. I am aware of many retailers who without their sub-12ft/lbs airgun sales, would likely go out of business.
“Add to this the proposed bans on snare traps and trail hunting and more prohibitive licencing regimes for gamebird release will be detrimental to the way of life in the countryside, though, frankly, I feel that this is the direction of travel that has been a feature of our sport for some time. I think that what is even more important than specific measures effecting shooting is the overwhelming elephant in the room affecting us all: the cost-of-living crisis.
“We are an overwhelmingly discretionary spend-dependant market and post-Covid, that potential spend has been dramatically impacted. Prices between 2019 and 2024 have increased by nearly 26% and whilst inflation is now near the target level of 2%, this is 2% compounded upon the historical 26%; we have the highest burden of tax upon us since 1948. Interest rates are 5.25% and are not expected to ease until late autumn. Consumer confidence is low and their room for manoeuvre limited by increased mortgage and rental costs. This is where I feel some potential for hope. Labour’s landslide victory has ended the Tory psychodrama of the five years since the 2019 election. Markets like certainty, they like stability. The size of Labour’s majority almost certainly means they are here for five years -possibly a decade. The Pound has strengthened strongly helping importers such as ourselves maintain pricing. The cost of borrowing has eased, which, in time will lead to borrowing costs for consumers falling also. There is a focus on growth and renewal. Hopefully we should start to see a return to the feelgood factor and customers feeling confident to put their hands in their pockets for that new airgun, rifle or shotgun. Without confident consumers, everything else is just politics.”
A veteran’s view
Adding to the discussion, a seasoned trade professional, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared a broader historical perspective: “The situation is what it is, and in the 50 years I have been in the gun trade, I have seen political parties come and go. It never makes much difference trade-wise. Changes in legislation affecting shooting are always the biggest worry but those are not exclusive to any one party.”
This viewpoint highlights a sense of continuity and resilience within the industry, emphasising that while governments may change, the fundamental challenges and dynamics of the firearms and hunting trade often remain influenced by broader legislative trends rather than the specifics of any single government.
Our industry is poised to navigate the new government’s policies, armed with a proactive stance and a determination to safeguard traditions and economic contributions. As Labour settles in, the sector remains vigilant, ready to engage and influence to ensure a sustainable future for hunting and shooting sports.
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