Restore Britain leader describes Dunblane tragedy as 'one murder'

The leader of Restore Britain has described the Dunblane school shooting as "one murder", leading to demands for an apology.

On the Joe Rogan podcast, Rupert Lowe was criticising the ban of handguns in the UK. He told Rogan the ban came in "because there was a murder in Dunblane".

The podcast host clarified with Lowe that the ban was due to "one murder" and the Restore UK leader repeated that was the case.

Sixteen children and their teacher were killed in the Dunblane shooting in 1996.

Lowe is the MP for Great Yarmouth and founder of the political party Restore Britain.

He initially set up Restore Britain as a "political movement" after he was suspended from Reform UK in March last year.

Lowe's suspension came after allegations that he made threats of physical violence against then party chairman Zia Yusuf.

The Crown Prosecution Service later said there was insufficient evidence for a "realistic prospect of conviction".

Lowe said his father's pistols were taken away after the shooting, and that society in the UK needed "radical change" and to "release the individual".

Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr said: "Rupert Lowe's comments are astonishingly insensitive and profoundly disrespectful to the victims of Dunblane, their families and everyone in Scotland who remembers that horrific day.

"To describe Dunblane as 'one murder' is not simply inaccurate – it diminishes one of the darkest days in Scotland's modern history.

"Sixteen children and their teacher were murdered, and 15 other primary school children were wounded.

"There is no excuse for reducing the murder of 16 children and their teacher to 'one murder'.

"What makes his remarks even more disturbing is the dismissive tone in which they were delivered."

Kerr hit out at the "casual" and "ignorant" manner in which Lowe spoke about the tragedy.

He said: "That tragedy changed Scotland forever. To speak so casually about an event that still causes such profound pain is both callous and indefensible.

"People across Scotland will be appalled to hear Rupert Lowe speak so ignorantly about an event that remains etched in our national memory.

"He should withdraw those remarks and apologise."

Local MSP Keith Brown said Lowe was "a stain on our politics" and called the comments "beyond despicable."

"Sixteen children and a teacher were shot dead while 15 more children were wounded," he said.

"Despite these hideous remarks from Rupert Lowe, the Snowdrop Campaign that followed that terrible day ensured a ban on the private ownership of most handguns - that is the proud legacy of the bereaved families and the local community.

"Their courage and determination in the aftermath of the attack is something we should never betray and our community will never let the likes of Rupert Lowe do exactly that," he said.

Restore Britain and Rupert Lowe have been approached for comment.