In defence of Christopher Chope’s ‘upskirting’ objection

Sir Christopher Chope is not, perhaps, a household name, but he is a man of quite considerable courage. By raising an objection to the preposterous private member’s bill, brought by Wera Hobhouse, a LibDem MP, to make upskirting – taking pictures up girls’ skirts –  a specific criminal offence, he has seen off a bill which was a preposterous waste of time.

The Government and Wera H has been hoping to get through the bill on the nod but it could only happen if no one in the chamber had the bad taste to object to it being passed without debate. Sir Christopher, one of parliament’s tough nuts, took the entirely legitimate view that if the Commons were to bring in a new criminal offence for which someone could be sent to prison for two years, well it ought to be debated. For his pains, he was, it seems, booed by his own side.