Fury as Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe describes Dunblane tragedy as 'one murder'

The leader of the far-right Restore Britain party has sparked fury after wrongly describing the 1996 Dunblane massacre as "one murder".

MP Rupert Lowe made the comment during an appearance on popular US podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, drawing criticism from the family of one of the children killed and a Scottish politician who branded it "genuinely shocking" and "deeply insulting".

MSP Stephen Kerr added: "It wasn't a single murder. It was mass murder."

In response, a Restore Britain spokesperson said: "Rupert was clearly referring to one incident."

On the morning of 13 March 1996, a gunman entered the gymnasium of Dunblane Primary School and, over the course of several minutes, shot dead 16 children and their teacher.

A further 15 people - most of them children - were also wounded in what remains the UK's deadliest mass shooting.

The mass killer took his own life in the school gymnasium.

The Snowdrop Campaign was launched in the wake of the tragedy and led to major reform of the UK's gun laws.

A ban on most handguns was introduced by John Major's Conservative government in 1997.

Later that year, legislation widening the ban to include all cartridge ammunition handguns was introduced by Tony Blair's Labour government.

Mr Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth, made the comment to American podcaster Rogan while discussing the UK's strict gun laws.

He said: "As you probably know they banned handguns in the late 90s because there was a murder up in Dunblane."

Rogan interjected, asking "One murder?"

Mr Lowe replied: "One murder.

"So, everybody, my father used to shoot pistols for Oxford University and he had, he's dead now bless him, but he had all his pistols were taken away, the pistols he used to shoot with at Oxford University."

The family of Emma Crozier, who was shot dead in the tragedy, criticised the Restore Britain leader.

Speaking to Sky News, her brother Jack Crozier said: "Rupert Lowe's father had his pistols taken away. My father had his daughter taken away.

"He knew exactly what happened at Dunblane. He made an active choice, on one of the world's biggest podcasts, to describe the massacre of 16 five and six-year-old children and their teacher as 'one murder'.

"The people of Great Yarmouth need to seriously consider if this is who they want representing them."

Read more:
After 30 years, massacre 'haunts many'

Mr Kerr, Scottish Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, also criticised Mr Lowe.

In a social media post, he said his children's school, close to Dunblane, was locked down on the day of the massacre, as it unfolded.

Mr Kerr said: "They'll never forget being kept in the gym hall until everyone learned the gunman was dead.

"They'll never forget the teachers trying to hold themselves together while reassuring frightened children. To reduce that atrocity to 'one murder' is deeply insulting.

"It wasn't a single murder. It was a mass murder. In a primary school."

"Almost as disturbing was the tone - one of disbelief, even mockery, that anyone could respond by tightening gun laws," Mr Kerr added.

"This wasn't some obscure historical event. It happened in 1996, when Lowe was 38 years old. He should have known what happened on that terrifying day in Dunblane.

"For anyone who remembers that day, hearing it dismissed so casually is genuinely shocking."

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander added: "Rupert Lowe's comments on the Dunblane massacre are not only ignorant, but also lack common decency.

"As Scots we still hold in our hearts the memory of the children and teacher murdered that terrible day."

Chris Kane, MP for Stirling and Strathallan, raised a point of order at the House of Commons.

He also posted a statement online, praising the "courageous parents and families forever touched by the Dunblane tragedy".

Mr Kane added: "Mere words can never describe the sort of darkness that was visited upon Dunblane Primary School and our nation on 13 March 1996.

"Many people on that terrible day and since have lived with a kind of acute consciousness and pain that should never be visited on any human soul. The least the rest of us can do is to ensure that is forever acknowledged and honoured.

"Mr Lowe's attitude does not reflect the sort of thoughtful society the vast majority of our nation and its people wish to have and which has been displayed day in and day out in my constituency for over 30 years.

"We can all learn something from the example of the good people and families of Dunblane. We can only hope that one day that includes Mr Lowe."

(c) Sky News 2026: Fury as Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe describes Dunblane tragedy as 'one murder'