Rupert Lowe, leader of the Restore Britain party, has drawn widespread criticism following remarks made during an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, in which he described the 1996 Dunblane massacre as “one murder.” The comments have sparked outrage from politicians, victims’ families, and community leaders who condemned the characterization as a severe understatement of the tragedy.

The Dunblane massacre remains the deadliest mass shooting in British history. On March 13, 1996, Thomas Hamilton entered Dunblane Primary School in Scotland and killed 16 children, aged five and six, along with their teacher, Gwen Mayor. In addition to the fatalities, 15 children and three adults were injured before Hamilton took his own life. The incident led to significant reforms in UK gun laws, including a near-total ban on handguns implemented by John Major’s Conservative government in 1997 and further restrictions introduced by Tony Blair’s Labour government later that year.

During the interview with renowned American podcaster Joe Rogan, Lowe sought to explain why the UK has strict firearm regulations, stating that handguns were banned “because there was a murder up in Dunblane.” When Rogan asked for clarification, “One murder?”, Lowe confirmed, “One murder.” He also referenced the removal of pistols from his late father, who used to shoot pistols for Oxford University, to illustrate the wider restrictions on gun ownership.

Lowe’s description provoked swift backlash. Scottish Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr, whose children attended a nearby school placed in lockdown during the massacre, described the comments as “deeply insulting” and “shocking.” Kerr emphasized that it was not a single murder but a mass murder at a primary school, highlighting the dismissive tone Lowe took toward the incident and its impact on gun legislation.

Keith Brown, SNP deputy leader and MSP for Dunblane and Clackmannanshire, condemned Lowe as a “stain on our politics,” calling the remarks “beyond despicable.” Brown underscored the significance of the Snowdrop Campaign, a local anti-gun movement spurred by the massacre, which contributed to the handgun ban and is regarded as the “proud legacy” of bereaved families and the community.

Victims’ relatives also responded critically. Kenny Ross, who lost his five-year-old daughter Joanna in the massacre, called Lowe’s comments “ignorant and selfish,” stressing the ongoing pain the tragedy has caused and the safer society that resulted from strict gun laws. Jack Crozier, whose sister Emma was killed in the shooting, contrasted Lowe’s statement about his own father’s pistols being taken away with the devastating loss faced by his family.

A spokesperson for Restore Britain said Lowe was referring “clearly to one incident” rather than minimizing the scale of the massacre. Despite calls for him to withdraw or apologize for the remarks, Lowe has not done so. The controversy surrounds Lowe’s broader political agenda, which includes a right-wing platform that seeks to challenge existing gun regulations, positioning Restore Britain as more hardline than his former party, Reform UK.

The comments come amid Lowe’s ongoing efforts to raise his profile, including a media tour in the United States where he met with influential figures such as Elon Musk. Critics argue that his framing of Dunblane and UK gun laws misrepresents the historical reality and disregards the enduring impact of the tragedy on victims, their families, and the community.