Air rifles to be licensed!

Oh how I hate it when someone says “I told you so.” It is now less than 100 days, in fact it’s less than 50 days, since the general election, and north of the border the SNP made pretty much a clean sweep of the available seats. It is therefore with a heavy heart that I would like to draw your attention to the Wednesday 18^th, January 2012 item titled “Age limit, NO!” in this piece I opine that should the SNP get into a position of power in Scotland there are a number of things that they will pursue. I’m no prophet, but I like to think I’m fairly perceptive when it comes to anti-shooting and anti-hunting organisations propaganda and their ultimate aims.

Released today, and with coverage given by the BBC(click here), the Scottish parliament will have bill put to it to license all types of air guns. As previously stated here the bill is being wrapped in a public safety blanket. A Scottish government spokesman said: "At the very heart of the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Bill is this government's aim to support and encourage legitimate businesses whilst protecting public health and safety and empowering our communities. Additional wrapping is provided by aligning the use of air weapons with the illegal sex trade, and illegal scrap metal dealers, whilst it purports to help protect legitimate businesses in these fields.

With not 50 days yet passed, it remains to be seen how things will progress in the remainder of the term of this parliament for the Scottish shooting sports and countryside. I would love to be proved wrong in the other opinions passed back in 2012 but with vehement political extremism, as practised by the SNP, I fear that this may be just the tip of the iceberg. I finished back in 2012 by saying “it’s not if, but when.” Well I’m afraid to say now is when.