BRITAIN'S gun lobby threatened action in the European Court last night, as a huge compensation row greeted the publication of Mr Michael Howard's post Dunblane clampdown on the use and ownership of handguns.
But as the government faced Tory backbench revolts on two fronts, there was relief for the Home Secretary as the Ulster Unionists confirmed they would not be supporting Opposition demands for a total ban.
A right wing MP, Mr John Carlisle, said the government should limit itself to the original proposals of the Cullen report, and vowed to fight Mr Howard's firearms Bill "every inch of the way".
At the same time his colleague, Mr Robert Hughes MP, signalled that he would table an amendment to the Bill seeking prohibition of all handguns. While Mr Carlisle claimed the support of possibly 50 Tory MPs, Mr Hughes pressed for a free vote on the issue. "The government have made a huge error of judgment," he said. "To make this a party political matter is bizarre."
Mr Carlisle claimed that the proposed legislation was "rushed, flawed and ill conceived" and predicted it would suffer "a tortuous time" in parliament.
But defeat on the issue would be a devastating blow to Mr Major's government, which has seen much of its plan for the final Commons session before the election reduced to a shambles. Government whips will be in overdrive to curtail the threatened rebellions when the Bill receives its second reading in 10 days' time.
The Ulster Unionist decision, confirmed yesterday by the party's deputy leader. Mr John Taylor, has given the government some vital leeway. The Strangford MP said: "We do not believe it's necessary to abolish all handguns as some people are suggesting. We think that's a rather emotional reaction to the tragedy of Dunblane."
The Bill will impose an outright ban on all handguns above .22 calibre requiring the destruction of some 160,000 of 200,000 legally held arms. And the use of less powerful pistols will be permitted only in registered gun clubs, which will have to comply with stringent new security and safety conditions.
A spokesman for the recently formed Sportsman's Association accused the government of destroying a legitimate leisure industry, claiming that "tens of thousands of people will lose a sport they love, and 2,000 people will lose their jobs overnight".
The government yesterday revised estimates of the compensation costs upwards, to between £25 million and £50 million. However, the British Shooting Sports Council claimed this was wide of the mark. "Compensation offered to shooters is totally inadequate," it said. "The final bill, even for guns held by individuals and dealers, is likely to run in excess of £170 million."
Compensation for all the losses would be demanded, if necessary, through the European Court - and that ignores accessories owned by shooters, the impact on businesses, employment and the cost to shooting clubs.