Tories mock 'dinosaur' colleague who blocked upskirting bill
2 min read
A Tory backbencher has taken a swipe at his colleague who controversially blocked plans to make ‘upskirting’ a criminal offence.
Christchurch MP Sir Christopher Chope was branded a “dinosaur” by critics after he put the brakes on a government-backed bid to make it illegal to take photos of people aimed up their skirts.
However, he has since insisted that he is not “some kind of pervert” but rather opposed the change on a point of principle, because he disagreed with ministers “abusing parliamentary time” by using Private Member’s Bills to bring in new laws.
But in a fresh dig at Prime Minister’s Questions today, neighbouring Tory backbencher Simon Hoare said: “Dorset is the home of the Jurassic Coast. But my Rt Hon Friend will be pleased to know it’s not full of dinosaurs.
Amid laughter from MPs, one shouted: “Apart from Christchurch."
The North Dorset MP continued: “We are a modern, embrace-the-day sort of a county. All of my North Dorset constituents want to ensure the safety and dignity of women. As a husband father, I do too."
Mr Hoare asked Theresa May to "confirm that we will make the horror of upskirting illegal quickly and in government time".
The Prime Minister replied: “I can reassure my honorable friend I agree with him. Upskirting is a hideous invasion of privacy.
“It leaves victims feeling degraded and distressed. We will adopt this as a government bill. We will introduce the bill to the Commons this Thursday, with a second reading before the summer recess.
“But we’re not stopping there. We will also ensure that the most serious offenders are added to the sex offenders register.
“And victims should be in no doubt their complaints will be taken seriously and perpetrators will be punished.”
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