WTF Is Happening in Great Britian?

[Nemo]

is this for real or satire or just plain crazyness?

Nemo

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-33266720

Holyrood backs airgun licence move
9 hours ago,     From the section Scotland politics

MSPs have passed legislation requiring all airgun owners in Scotland to hold a licence.

The Scottish government pledged to introduce the licensing scheme following the death of Glasgow toddler Andrew Morton, who was shot dead by an airgun in 2005.

The Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Bill also contains tougher regulations on pubs, strip bars, taxi firms and scrap dealers.

It was passed by 92 votes to 17.

Offences involving air weapons accounted for almost half of all offences involving a firearm in 2013/14, according to Scottish government figures.

The new law will mean anyone wanting to own an air gun will need to demonstrate they have a legitimate reason for doing so.

Sharon McMillan, the mother of Andrew Morton, was at the Scottish Parliament as MSPs debated the bill.

She told the BBC: "We are totally delighted that this day has finally come. We never thought it would come. It is a step in the right direction. I know it isn't an outright ban, but it is the next best thing to it.

"I would love to see the guns getting banned altogether, but I know that farmers and pest control need it for work.

"I just hope that they stick to their words and call it 'Andrew's Law', because that is what we are fighting for. We have a good future to look forward to, knowing that we have actually achieved something for him."
Andrew Morton was two years old when he was shot in the head by an airgun in 2005

Labour backed the bill despite describing it as "far from ideal", while the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats said while they supported many parts of the legislation, they could not back measures relating to the licensing of air weapons, arguing that the matter should have been addressed in a separate piece of legislation.

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said: "We have a long standing commitment to reducing gun crime, and the licensing of air weapons has been central to that aim. It featured in our manifesto in 2007 and 2011, and the powers to regulate on air weapons were finally devolved to this Parliament in the Scotland Act of 2012.

"We have acted on this new power, consulting widely with experts and the public. Our proposals have not always been universally welcomed but we believe they strike the right balance between respecting the interests of those people who shoot legitimately for work, sport, pest control or leisure, and the need to ensure that those who misuse guns do not have access to them."

The bill includes a wide reform of the licensing system in Scotland and will give councils the power to reject applications for new pubs, off-licences, lap dancing clubs and hire cars on the grounds that there are too many in the area.

It was endorsed by Holyrood's local government committee in March, but committee members called for action to close a "loophole" which could see strip clubs circumvent the new laws.

Premises which hold four or fewer sexual entertainment events a year would be exempt, but MSPs feared this could lead to strippers moving from venue to venue to avoid the law.

However, theatre productions that contain nudity will be exempt from the licensing shake-up.

Other provisions include a requirement for pub owners to prove that they are fit to run a premises, including disclosing spent convictions.

Councils must have the stated objective of reducing the consumption of alcohol when considering new licences while those who give alcohol to children to drink in public will be criminalised.

Communities will be given a greater say over the opening of lap-dancing bars while councils will also be able to judge whether there is an over-provision of private hire cars in the area.

The bill will also impose new regulations on scrap metal dealers to cut down on theft, including a requirement to get proper identification from those selling scrap and refuse payment in cash.

[Nemo]

and

Gotta get rid of sharp pointy things!  Granted that is 8 months old but for Heaven's sake, wake up world!

Nemo

http://countercurrentnews.com/2014/11/british-police-calling-for-knife-ban/

 

British Police Call On Nation To ‘Save a Life, Surrender Your Knife’ As ‘Knife Violence’ Continues
November 14, 2014 12:48 pm

The news out of the United Kingdom almost reads like a satire piece from The Onion. But as strange as it may sound to people around the world, and especially in the United States, the British police push to ban knives is no joke.

The new “Save a Life – Surrender Your Knife” program is in full swing and police are telling us that they have joined forces with an already growing trend in the United Kingdom to ban “pointy” knives.

Lancashire Police tell us that an “amnesty” program began at the end of August, and “more than 800 knives have been handed in across the county – including swords, machetes and commando knives.”

“The amnesty was extended for a further week owing to its success,” Lancashire Police representatives explained.

The Lancashire department explains that their “officers have now given their backing to a national initiative designed to raise awareness of knife crime and encourage the surrender of dangerous weapons.”

In spite of the amnesty ending this week, police tell us that “people can continue to hand in any knife at any police station with a front counter as well being able to drop them into the designated bins.”

Those bins will be in cities all over the U.K. as this call for people to turn in pointed knives continues.

“We are keen to raise awareness of the devastating impact of knife crime and to reduce the number of families affected so we have decided to keep the knife bins indefinitely,” Detective Chief Inspector Steve Dowson said.

“While projects encouraging the surrender of knives are not a single solution to violence, they have an important role to play in inspiring communities to get behind education and preventative measures,” he added. “Such campaigns show a desire to address local concerns and Lancashire Police is keen to throw our weight behind them in support.

“We’ve been delighted with the response so far, but our communities have told us that they want an end to knife crime and that they want to work with us to make that happen.”

A call from the British Medical Journal was published several years ago, arguing that “many assaults are committed impulsively, prompted by alcohol and drugs, and a kitchen knife often makes an all too available weapon,” according to the BBC.

Researchers “consulted 10 top chefs from around the UK, and found such knives have little practical value in the kitchen. None of the chefs felt such knives were essential, since the point of a short blade was just as useful when a sharp end was needed.”

Again, we remind our readers outside of the UK, that this is not satire, just another example of the government claiming they are here to protect us from ourselves.

In the UK, the rate of knife violence is approximately one in every 374 people victimized, compared with a rate of one in 750 people victimized by gun violence in the United States.

and

This one is only a month old.

Nemo


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4581871.stm

Doctors' kitchen knives ban call
Last Updated: Thursday, 26 May, 2005

Doctors say knives are too pointed
A&E doctors are calling for a ban on long pointed kitchen knives to reduce deaths from stabbing.

A team from West Middlesex University Hospital said violent crime is on the increase - and kitchen knives are used in as many as half of all stabbings.

They argued many assaults are committed impulsively, prompted by alcohol and drugs, and a kitchen knife often makes an all too available weapon.

The research is published in the British Medical Journal.

The researchers said there was no reason for long pointed knives to be publicly available at all.

They consulted 10 top chefs from around the UK, and found such knives have little practical value in the kitchen.

None of the chefs felt such knives were essential, since the point of a short blade was just as useful when a sharp end was needed.

The researchers said a short pointed knife may cause a substantial superficial wound if used in an assault - but is unlikely to penetrate to inner organs.

In contrast, a pointed long blade pierces the body like "cutting into a ripe melon".

The use of knives is particularly worrying amongst adolescents, say the researchers, reporting that 24% of 16-year-olds have been shown to carry weapons, primarily knives.

The study found links between easy access to domestic knives and violent assault are long established.

French laws in the 17th century decreed that the tips of table and street knives be ground smooth.

A century later, forks and blunt-ended table knives were introduced in the UK in an effort to reduce injuries during arguments in public eating houses.

The researchers say legislation to ban the sale of long pointed knives would be a key step in the fight against violent crime.

"The Home Office is looking for ways to reduce knife crime.

"We suggest that banning the sale of long pointed knives is a sensible and practical measure that would have this effect."

Home Office spokesperson said there were already extensive restrictions in place to control the sale and possession of knives.

"The law already prohibits the possession of offensive weapons in a public place, and the possession of knives in public without good reason or lawful authority, with the exception of a folding pocket knife with a blade not exceeding three inches.

"Offensive weapons are defined as any weapon designed or adapted to cause injury, or intended by the person possessing them to do so.

"An individual has to demonstrate that he had good reason to possess a knife, for example for fishing, other sporting purposes or as part of his profession (e.g. a chef) in a public place.

"The manufacture, sale and importation of 17 bladed, pointed and other offensive weapons have been banned, in addition to flick knives and gravity knives."

A spokesperson for the Association of Chief Police Officers said: "ACPO supports any move to reduce the number of knife related incidents, however, it is important to consider the practicalities of enforcing such changes."

[graynomad]

800 knives handed in with a population if what, 60 million, that's a joke.

I thought we had it bad here in Oz but the UK is a whole extra level of BS.

This is on a facebook group I belong to, someone suggested they buy a dozen kitchen knives from Big-W and drop them into the provided bins, complete with tags and shopping bag. Just to show what a crock of crap this is.

[thedigininja]

I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a few of those bins where the drops are made. My collection could grow a bit.

It's all bloody insane.

[Reaver]

You never go full retard.

[gadget99]

Yep.......

Social engineering at it's best here in the UK.

Thank god I live in England as opposed to Scotland.

[Nemo]

Shoulda let them withdraw back at the last election.  Now all it needs do is roll downhill.  If they withdrew it would have had some kind of a border to cross.  Might have been at least a little board or something to climb over.

Nemo