Upskirting bill MP takes shot at own party

♦a Tory MP accused his own party of “pandering to cheap public opinion” after he blocked a bill on “upskirting”.

Sir Christopher Chope drew brickbats when he objected to the private members’ bill in the Commons in June. Dawn Butler, the shadow equalities and women’s minister, said Theresa May needed “to call out this sexist behaviour”. But Sir Christopher said he had expected his party to defend him after MPS began criticising him and when social media comment descended into “mob rule”.

After blocking the private members’ bill, the Government brought forward its own legislation, which Sir Christopher said had been his objective, calling the original bill “a badly drafted piece of legislation”.