The shooting of a teenage boy in New York following an NBA victory has reignited the British political establishment's smug satisfaction with its own gun laws. Tory backbenchers, usually quick to decry any restriction on liberty, are now queuing up to pat themselves on the back. “A civilised safeguard,” one minister whispered to me over a pint at the Strangers' Bar.
The incident, which left a 16-year-old in critical condition, was the result of a dispute that spilled into the streets after the Knicks' win. Police are still hunting the suspect. But in Westminster, the reaction is less about the victim and more about the moral high ground.
Labour frontbenchers, too, are eager to join the chorus. “This is what happens when you have a gun culture,” a shadow cabinet source told me. “Our laws prevent this.
” Never mind that the UK has its own problems with knife crime and youth violence. That’s a different story. For now, the narrative is clear: America’s gun problem is our opportunity to feel superior.
Downing Street has been quick to issue a statement expressing condolences, but the subtext is unmistakable. The Prime Minister’s spokesman said the UK’s gun laws “protect our citizens from such tragedies.” A veiled dig at the Second Amendment.
Meanwhile, the NRA remains silent. But don’t expect this moment of bipartisan unity to last. The moment the polls shift, both parties will be back to weaponising crime statistics.
For now, though, they can agree on one thing: thank God we’re not America.
