Dear GTA members and the wider trade, I had the privilege of taking leadership of the Gun Trade Association in April. Now, I want to take stock, reflecting on the progress made over the past eight months as well as the challenges ahead.
The Association I inherited was not in good shape either administratively or financially. It was felt among members that GTA had somehow “lost its way”. I learnt of many frustrating member experiences over recent years.
It became obvious the GTA needed to refocus on its core mission – support, defence and promotion of the trade. We have therefore moved away from shooting, entertainment and events to servicing the nitty gritty, day-to-day needs of the trade. Our help desk has seen a significant rise in calls as a result of this more business-like approach.
At the same time, I had to take immediate and drastic action to address GTA’s poor performance as an organisation. We moved swiftly to cut costs by transitioning to a fully virtual business model – while retaining a post box at Bisley.
For safekeeping, our historic records dating back to the Armourers’ Club in the late nineteenth century have been moved on permanent loan to Audley House where they are now under the care of Purdey’s archivist Dr Nick Harlow.
With generous donations from two larger GTA members, our IT has been upgraded. A full overhaul of our administrative systems completes shortly. The fruits of this will become clear soon, when a new GTA website will be launched with a full suite of low-cost, high-performance back office functions as well as improved accessibility and additional services for members. You will also see new branding.
By the same token, the membership of our governing Council has been refreshed. We are encouraging Council members to play a more active role, whether that be in leading the charge on the transition away from lead, working with OFCOM on online trading or starting to think about the future of the air gun business.
I want to thank Elaine Gallen, our operations manager, and Paul Green, our technical director, in particular for their patience, good cheer and hard work throughout this at times rocky transition. I am also grateful to the GTA Council for its unstinting support.
To get to know the trade better, I spent much of the summer on the road visiting as many members across the country as possible to introduce myself and to listen. I found much goodwill but also frustration and an appetite for more responsiveness, stronger representation and a new “no nonsense” approach. That new “no nonsense” approach starts here. I was hired to lead GTA in part because of my long career in public policy, from my time as a parliamentary lobbyist to more recent experience as a senior civil servant at the Ministry of Defence and Cabinet Office.
Building and sustaining close, constructive working relations with the Home Office, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Police have been a priority.
The GTA is in regular, frequent contact with the Firearms & Weapons Policy Unit within the Home Office. Most recently, we’ve been helping formulate Firearms Guidance and are steering an update on the Government’s Firearms Security Manual. We are at the very heart of the current conversation about gun control and are tireless in arguing for the trade and its interests.
We have been supporting NCA’s work on gun crime, advising on issues as diverse as licensing certification, the sale of antique arms and counterfeit firearms.
The firearms licensing team at the National Police Chiefs’ Council is a close ally and supports our work with the 38 firearms licensing departments across the country. We are deeply engaged with the Police Digital Service and its project to create a new National Firearms Licensing Management System by 2027.
Through the British Shooting Sports Council (BSSC), I have also sought to forge strong bonds with organisations in the shooting sector. These bonds should bear fruit going into 2026.
We all know this year is going to pose a huge challenge for the trade. The forthcoming Home Office consultation is now expected to be published in January. It will contain proposals to ban the private sale of firearms and the reform of firearms licensing (Sections 1 & 2) among other measures.
There has been much speculation about Sections 1 & 2 and a lot of activity, much of it unfocused and premature. While awareness raising is important, we must wait to see what the Government is actually proposing before we present our arguments.
The two critical points this year will be the consultation itself (January–March) and the Government’s formal response later in the year (perhaps September or October).
GTA has been busy preparing its arguments and has conducted national research – a high-profile trade survey – to provide a robust evidence base for its submission to the consultation. Based on your responses, our research will be published very soon. We will also be providing members with the information they need to make submissions on their own account.
"IN 2026, WE ARE LIKELY TO FACE A ONCE-IN-A- GENERATION STRUGGLE FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR TRADE"
With support from the Shooting Industry Fund, GTA has spearheaded a plan to put in place a National Campaign Coordinator to help orchestrate submissions across the trade and shooting sectors and to coordinate our communications on a nationwide basis.
This initiative has won unanimous support from BASC, the Countryside Alliance, the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association, the National Rifle Association and many other shooting organisations. It will be run through the BSSC Secretariat and is designed to provide a single unified voice for the first time. In facing down an existential threat, we cannot allow the Government to divide and rule us.
It only remains for me – on behalf of the GTA – to wish you and your families a healthy and successful year ahead.
In 2026, we are likely to face a once-in-a-generation struggle for the prosperity and future of our trade. I have every confidence we can win that battle if we hold our nerve, stick together and focus our efforts relentlessly where and when it counts.
With very best wishes and grateful thanks for your support.
Stephen Jolly CEO, Gun Trade Association