This should help clear things up...
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9706/12/britain.handgun/
...IIRC the conservatives voted for a ban on centre fire handguns (which was bad enough) with a view to getting more information and making a decision on smallbore pistols in the future. Labours contrary stance during the run up to the election was to decree that they would instigate a total ban on all handguns...which they did.
lol...I'm always getting my Hamiltons mixed up
Cheers
Clive