Partner approval?

[Polchraine]

This has sneaked out:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21051062

I can see the thinking behind it, but then where will it go next? former partners, landlords, employer, line manager, neighbours ...?

[Sim G]

As you say, makes perfect sense. Why would any reasonable person oppose such a suggestion. Obviously apart from the poor b*gger who gets caught up with a vindictive ex-partner, who else are they going to throw into the mix of who "approves" your fitness or not, when it comes to gun ownership?

And they had to stick in the recent US events so to give credence to their suggestion!

Shame Theresa May wasn't subjected to the same level of scrutiny before she was allowed to run amok in the Home Office.....

[artiglio]

Surely anything that comes to attention of authorities should be taken into consideration, however extending this to expartners is only asking for problems in some cases. I was somewhat surprised when my FEO told me that GP's were not contacted as a matter of course when processing FAC's, purely on the grounds of cost, apparently a GP charges for his report and my force rarely ask for one.

Cheers phil

[dromia]

A very one sided view of fitness indeed.

Who is going to check the veracity of the partners reasons for disapproval, especially with ex-partners where pure spite could be the motivator.

[Jnadreth]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21051062

I knew it...again with more carp....they look for any excuse to scapegoat

[Watcher]

I assume this will automatically apply to members of the armed forces and armed police who will also have regular access to firearms?

[shugie]

It's not a bad idea in some ways, I doubt anyone here would argue that a tiny minority of nutters have had a serious impact on UK firearms law. Just two men, Ryan and Hamilton, behaved in a manner that had enormous repercussions.

If someone had known of reasons that they should not have had licenses, or acted in the case of Hamilton, perhaps I'd be able to own and use a pistol and a self loading .308

I could see why a vindictive ex-partner might use this as another way to make a nuisance of themselves, but it does say that an adverse comment from a partner would trigger more enquiries, not a refusal - although I have some scepticism about this.

[dave_303]

Ryan and Hamilton had been discussed with the police by their respective clubs, hell Hamilton even had his guns taken away from him at least once.

Many of these nutters don't have partners, a few may have ex's but what if you're single, who do they go to then?

[SevenSixTwo]

Chipping away... chipping away.

Enjoy this sport while it lasts.

I'll give it three-five years.

[Blackstuff]

NOT having a partner is one of the few common factors of most spree shooters, certainly all of the British ones (and being born within 8 years of each other, maybe all the nuclear testing at the time had something to do with it emrolleyes ).

I'm not up to speed with the number of legal firearms murders as a result of a domestic situation? The obvious example where this could have been relevant would be the Peterlee shootings. However, all of the family members i've seen interviewed have given the impression they wouldn't have said something bad about Atherton before the shooting