What was claimed
Responding to new laws banning handguns in the wake of the Dunblane Massacre, Boris Johnson wrote “Nanny is confiscating their toys. It is like one of those vast Indian programmes of compulsory vasectomy.”
Our verdict
True.
Boris Johnson handgun quote is real
25 March 2021
A post on Facebook claims that in the wake of the Dunblane Massacre and calls for the government to ban handguns that followed, then-journalist Boris Johnson wrote: “Nanny is confiscating their toys. It is like one of those vast Indian programmes of compulsory vasectomy.”
While fake quotes attributed to the Prime Minister are popular on social media, this one is genuine.
The quote is taken from a column written by Mr Johnson in the Daily Telegraph on 15 September 1997, subsequently syndicated by the Calgary Herald, whose version can be viewed online.
On 13 March 1996, a gunman murdered 16 children and one teacher at Dunblane Primary School near Stirling in Scotland, before killing himself.
Parliament subsequently passed legislation banning the private ownership of handguns in most cases, and offered payment to people who voluntarily surrendered their guns.
Update 27 May 2022
Following a reader providing Full Fact with a copy of Mr Johnson's original article, we have updated this piece confirming when it first appeared in the Daily Telegraph.