As the official journal of the Gun Trade Association (GTA), we are honoured to feature Simon West OBE, the association’s executive director, starting with our inaugural issue and continuing monthly. A retired Army officer, Simon offers his unique insights on how the GTA supports the UK gun trade. Additionally, he shares his personal passion for traditional hunting pastimes, such as walked-up game shooting and early morning deer stalking.
What a great day! I am so pleased we have a print publication dedicated to the trade. With a huge circulation within the registered firearms dealer community we can share news, advertise our products and services and come together to fight our corner. Hard copy print – no batteries, no internet connection – is resurging in popularity and for good reason. We can pick it up at any moment, read it, show others, pass it on. Just what we need.
My intention is to be able to provide you with monthly updates on what’s going on in the political and regulatory world; monitor developments, alert you to threats, provide suggestions on how to push back and tell you what the GTA is doing about it.
We are living through a ‘perfect storm’ of issues that undermine our ability to do business. Direct impacts of licensing delays will be at the top of concerns. Half of police forces are failing to meet the expectation guidelines on firearms licensing performance. There are four government consultations running that all provide uncertainty – firearms licensing, lead in ammunition, certificate fees and moderators. Combined with the tighter requirements on suitability imposed by statutory guidance and the cost-of-living crisis, consumer confidence is low.
On top of that, the lack of consistent control across licensing departments has led to many incidents of operators ‘making it up as they go along’ and imposing ‘good ideas’ without proper scrutiny or proportionality. We have just had notable success in challenging one such case. Keep me posted on things you don’t think look right.
The GTA, with its scant resources is fighting back on all fronts. I wish I had more firepower – but I know we punch above our weight.
On delays, I have deep concerns about accountability. In order to understand the issues and hold people to account, we need data. That data exists but despite a freedom of information request, the National Police Chiefs’ Council have refused to supply it – saying it will be published later. Unacceptable – at a time of Police and Crime Commissioner elections, we, the voters, are being denied our democratic rights of knowing how well forces are performing. I have raised this with the Home Office and will continue to fight for transparency.
There is some indication that the Government will soon finally act on the consultations they have been running for over two years. I have been involved in both public and direct communication with politicians and officials to represent the trade’s interests in them all. The outcomes we expect should be reasonable but the work must be done to get the legislative changes on the statute book. We cannot afford further delays and the uncertainty caused by purdah, general elections and a new government.
In the run up to that election, meaning now, we all have role to play in helping our politicians understand the value of shooting in society – our livelihoods and the business and societal benefits. I will provide more for you in forthcoming issues.
The GTA has been representing the trade for 133 years. It has grown from a small group of London gunmakers to a national, broad representation of all areas of the trade. Manufacture, import, distribution, retail and specialist services form the multifaceted construct of our industry. We operate in a world where regulation and legislation have become ever more complex. We continue to push back against dis-proportionate measures that make life more difficult. I am pleased we have achieved some real successes in the last few years. That said, we don’t always get exactly what we want, so to help with the complexities of our businesses, we have majored on providing training and advice to RFDs to be able to operate safely and efficiently. Our RFD training courses continue to grow and I’m delighted members will soon be receiving their RFD handbooks. This new initiative provides a simple explanation of all the requirements for being an RFD – from how to run a register to the more complex issues regarding explosives, security, import and export etc. And the ‘Trade Knowledge’ section of our members’ website contains all of the in-depth advice sheets you might need.
In order to have a greater influence we always want to recruit more members. I hope Gun Trade Insider will allow me to show you more of the work that we do and get you engaged. The benefits for you are many – advice, discounts, events etc. but most importantly you form a part of the trade’s voice. More members, more resources, more impact.
There will be plenty more from me and I do want a two-way conversation. GTI provides the forum for this exchange and I look forward to hearing from you. The publisher, editor and I have lots of ideas of what you will want to see in these pages. We have some great writers lining up to educate, enlighten and entertain.
