(R-L) Vince supports the “upskirting” bill with campaigner Gina Martin, sponsoring MP Wera Hobhouse and Ms Martin’s solicitor, Ryan Whelan
We reported on Tuesday that the Justice Minister had agreed to take Wera Hobhouse’s Bill through Parliament after it was sabotaged by Christopher Chope.
We now have the details about how it will be progressed.
It seems that the Government is using a rare parliamentary procedure to progress the Voyeurism Offences Bill. It will have its first reading tomorrow and is scheduled for its Second Reading debate in a couple of weeks time.
Wera says:
I am pleased to see action being taken to ensure this Bill progresses as quickly as possible through parliament. It is testament to the uncontroversial nature of the Bill and the cross-party support it has received.
I introduced this Bill to protect the victims of this crime and therefore my priority has and will always be that upskirting becomes a specific sexual offence as quickly as possible.
This change in the law has been delayed one time too many. I hope to see it supported by my colleagues across the Commons tomorrow.
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7 Comments
A sad day for Chopers everywhere.
Brexit has occasioned increasing doubt about the sincerity of government promises,
so it is good to see this promise being delivered promptly.
As Ronald Reagan said “Trust but verify”.
He said it in Russian, which I regret I do not have to hand.
Are people being unfair to Sir Christopher as I heard him on Radio 4, a day or two after he stopped Wera’s bill, saying that he supported its intentions and he wanted the Government to produce a new bill. So will the Government be able to produce a better bill as a result of his intervention or was his motive to deny a Lib Dem MP the success of having her bill passed into law?
‘was his motive to deny a Lib Dem MP the success of having her bill passed into law?’
I wondered this too, as Sir Christopher won his present seat by defeating the then LibDem MP.
John Payne 21st Jun ’18 – Ian Sanderson (RM3)
Chope was on the radio AFTER he voted against up-skirting.
Richard, What vote are you referring to? As I understand it he objected when the bill was being introduced to the commons for its second(?) reading. Maybe somebody who knows the parliamentary procedures relating to private members bills would enlighten us. My point was that he was being attacked, probably on the basis of his past form, when in this case he may have had a motive with which Liberals could agree.
Christopher Chope MP denies he is a mysoginist.
2013:In December 2013 Chope objected to the second reading of the Alan Turing (Statutory Pardon) Bill in the House of Commons.
2014:In 2014 Chope along with six other Conservative Party MPs voted against the Equal Pay (Transparency) Bill which would require all companies with more than 250 employees to declare the gap in pay between the average male and average female salaries.
2015:In October 2015, Chope joined fellow Conservative members Philip Davies and David Nuttall in extended speeches, known as a filibuster, against a private member’s bill that would have placed restrictions on hospital parking charges for carers.