The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

I'd e-mailed BASC (Scotland) regarding the SNP's plans for a Single Scottish Police Force.

This is the reply;

The proposed merger of all of the Scottish Police forces does present some new challenges. Firstly, if it goes ahead we will have just one licensing department to deal with which should mean that we will get some consistency across all of Scotland. (As you know, just now, what you can and cannot do with respect to firearms and shotgun certificates is dependent upon the approach taken by individual Chief Constables.) Consistency should be good, or it could be bad if the person in charge had the wrong attitude to firearms. At least we will only need to engage with one licensing department rather than eight.

If it does go ahead, the right person in charge would be nice!

And if it goes ahead, and Scotland gains independence, Alex Salmond will control the Scottish National Police Force.

Anybody see a civil liberties issue with that?

One of the greatest virtues of the current police structure in the UK is that the Chief Constables, bosses of what are effectively their own private armies, are limited by both geography and level of political input to activity that cannot support the government of the day (except for the Met, which is indeed a worry when it comes to things like the latest Terrorism Act) or any ambitions to stage a coup. Thus, since there is no personal advantage to be had by abuse of power within the law, the police are by international standards remarkably free from both corruption and political influence. For similar reasons, the very existence of a standing army in the UK is subject to the annual approval of Parliament - a very old and very good statute that forms part of the Bill of Rights.

National police forces are inherently dangerous to liberty. This measure should be opposed on the most fundamental grounds of the defence of fundamental rights.

Iain

Yes, it is a concern especially if Scotland gains Inderpendence.

However, coming from Australia where each State has it's own Police Force, I don't have a problem with a single Scottish Force - as long as Scotland remains part of the UK.

My immediate concern regarding firearms and Scotland is what is going to be the SNP's first move against airguns?

You are spot on - if Scotland is a bit of the UK, and the Westminster Government has ultimate control, it matters not that there is a Scottish Police Service or whatever - Salmond will run half of what Boris Johnston does, minus the Met's national responsibilites, and checks and balances will remain.

The problem does indeed become large when / if Scotland becomes an independent nation. Interestingly, there is a debate I'm watching on Aussie TV right now about the opposite - abolishing the State Governments and by implication the State police forces - the same result by the opposite process - what do you think?

Iain

Oh and the SNPs first move will be to classify all airguns in S1 as in NI - for some bizarre reason the Scots have always (in my lifetime) had a terrible downer on airguns while inflicting such appalling hazards as the white pudding and the deep-fried mars bar on humanity without a second thought.

And I've thought Salmond was a puffed-up self-important semi-literate freeloading W*** since I first met him at university in about 1975.

Iain

And exactly WHAT is wrong with a deep fried Mars Bar?

You racist!

Haggis forever!

Love

karen

The problem does indeed become large when / if Scotland becomes an independent nation. Interestingly, there is a debate I'm watching on Aussie TV right now about the opposite - abolishing the State Governments and by implication the State police forces - the same result by the opposite process - what do you think?

If that is the case I shall have to return to Western Australia and take up the fight for Secession!