Another American massacre. Another pile of bodies. This time Iowa. Six dead in a domestic dispute that turned into an execution. The shooter is also dead. The details are still murky but the pattern is all too familiar.
Gun control advocates in Westminster are already circling. They smell blood. They see vindication. The UK’s strict laws, they argue, make this sort of carnage unthinkable here. And they’re right. But that doesn’t stop the grim satisfaction. The ‘we told you so’ brigade is in full swing.
One Labour source told me: “This is what happens when you treat firearms like consumer goods. The US system is broken. It’s a death cult.” Strong words. But privately, even some Tories agree. The culture war over guns doesn’t cross the Atlantic. Not really.
But let’s not kid ourselves. This tragedy will be weaponised. The usual suspects will demand action. The Home Office will issue a statement. Nothing will change. The US will move on. The bodies will be buried. And the cycle will repeat.
The politics of this are brutal. Labour sees an opportunity to bash the Americans and bolster their own tough-on-crime credentials. The Conservatives will dodge the issue. They know they can’t win on cultural grounds. Better to stay quiet.
What’s really interesting is the private reaction. One No 10 insider told me: “We watch these events with horror. But we also feel a quiet relief. It could be us.” That’s the ugly truth. The UK’s gun control isn’t perfect. But it works. And every mass shooting in America is a reminder of how bad it could be.
Expect the usual flurry of activity. Petitions. Editorials. A PMQs question or two. But nothing substantive. The political game is about positioning. Labour wants to be seen as the party of safety. The Tories want to avoid the wedge. Both sides know the status quo is locked in.
Meanwhile, six families are destroyed. In Iowa. In Britain, the news cycle will move on by lunchtime. But the advocates won’t forget. They’ll file this away. Another data point. Another argument. Another grim vindication.
