The UK didn't know it at the time, but any free speech "rights" they had left were given up the moment they disarmed themselves in 1996. A right means nothing when you give up the right to defend it.
An amnesty was organised which had a very high take-up; handguns were licensed, so it was easy to know who had possession of one, and there was a compensation scheme in place to reimburse owners.
The UK didn't know it at the time, but any free speech "rights" they had left were given up the moment they disarmed themselves in 1996. A right means nothing when you give up the right to defend it.