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Upskirting bill blocked

(219 Posts)
crystaltipps Fri 15-Jun-18 18:38:26

Anyone else outraged that this bill which was to make taking photographs up a woman’s skirt illegal was blocked by one old Tory MP. He also blocked a bill which would have made it a crime to attack a police dog.

Ilovecheese Mon 18-Jun-18 13:07:05

sunseeker At the moment I would think you would be charged, as you would have committed a crime, and he would not have committed a crime.

sunseeker Mon 18-Jun-18 13:17:15

Which shows the idiocy of this not being a crime - I can be charged for protecting myself from an invasion of privacy but the pervert could get away scot free

maryeliza54 Mon 18-Jun-18 13:44:23

It will all depend exactly where you were sun when you were upskirted - if it were witnessed and the witnesses declared themselves outraged, then he could be charged with outraging public decency ?

Iam64 Mon 18-Jun-18 13:44:45

Which exactly why blocking the proposal was stupid, attention seeking and irresponsible sunseeker.
I was surprised when visiting Christchurch before the last election to over hear many conversations in support of the active UKIP branch there. The other very noticeable thing was How very white British other visitors and residents were. I suspect the Tory
MP is safe in his seat, sadly.

alreadytaken Mon 18-Jun-18 15:47:08

The Tory majority there is weighed, not counted. I doubt his party will deselect him.

maryeliza54 Mon 18-Jun-18 15:54:23

Absolutely no chance at all - why would they? He represents their views perfectly

Jalima1108 Mon 18-Jun-18 17:16:40

Not all of his constituents are happy with him though:

www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/16297341.Pants_protest_against_upskirting_row_MP_Sir_Christopher_Chope/

Local artist Lorna Rees, who has strung the 'bunting' says:
"I'm not a Conservative voter but I know a lot of people who are and they are just as furious as I am."

maryeliza54 Mon 18-Jun-18 17:18:10

But the members are and that’s all that matters

Jalima1108 Mon 18-Jun-18 17:19:50

what matters is the ballot box
and long memories

maryeliza54 Mon 18-Jun-18 17:21:46

With his majority, no chance at all of his losing

Iam64 Mon 18-Jun-18 18:08:25

We can live in hope maryeliza. Even if he remains as the MP, just maybe he'll think on before he shouts "object" to something anyone else would be supporting.

muffinthemoo Mon 18-Jun-18 18:16:54

The photo of the pants on his Westminster door is hilarious.

Yes it may be petty but his actions don’t deserve any better.

maryeliza54 Mon 18-Jun-18 18:24:05

Yes that’s a possibility Iam I also wouldn’t be surprised if he does in fact retire at the next election ( whenever that will be). At least it does seem that the legislation will go through before the recess and you never know, somebody somewhere might start to look seriously at PMBs and their arcane rules.

Iam64 Mon 18-Jun-18 18:58:53

Jess Phillips article on this issue in yesterday's Observer was good. She pulled no punches in her evicerating verbal assault on Sir Christopher Chope.

maryeliza54 Mon 18-Jun-18 19:55:45

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/16/wrecking-ball-christopher-chope-v-upskirting-bill-alas-no-contest
Here we are - too good not to share

Iam64 Mon 18-Jun-18 20:54:33

Thanks maryeliza54, I will one day learn the skill of posting links!

Baggs Mon 18-Jun-18 21:03:13

I clicked on that link expecting a well-written article. The very first sentence is rubbish!
"In a week of so much parliamentary nonsense, we rounded off with Sir Christopher Chope objecting to the law that would have stopped perverts taking pictures up women’s skirts."

HOW, exactly, does making something a crime stop it happening? Crimes are committed despite laws against them.

Secondly, why is everyone assuming that Chope wanted to block the law change completely? My understanding of it is that he wanted to stop it being pushed through in its current form. That is not the same thing as not wanting the law on upskirting to change AT ALL.

I will go and read the rest of the article but I'm truly shocked at the herd mentality that seems to be prevalent on this issue.

Baggs Mon 18-Jun-18 21:11:18

Hmm. She says a fair bit about parliamentary ways needing to be changed. I daresay she's right. What has she done or is she doing about it?

Likewise all the rest who object to the pernicketiness with details of the Chopes of the House—I'd like to hear what they are doing about it.

Iam64 Mon 18-Jun-18 21:24:25

Oh Baggs - I do understand your objections, I do not agree with you. I fear you are intellectualising an issue that doesn't need emotional distance. Jess Phillips works extremely hard. She pioneers women's issues.

Jess Phillips is a Good Thing. Christopher Chope is Not a Good Thing.

The End.

maryeliza54 Mon 18-Jun-18 21:28:02

Rightly or wrongly that's JP’s style. She can be rather in your face but she’s a great campaigning MP who really gives a damn. She’s been an MP since 2015 so you might have to forgive her for not yet having reformed Parliament (CC has chalked up 30 years and has damn all to show for it).

maryeliza54 Mon 18-Jun-18 21:29:15

Xposts Iam we are of one mind on this it appears.

Granny23 Tue 19-Jun-18 00:12:16

Add on tonight's piece of nonsense. although the vote was Ayes 88, Nos 51 there were only approximately 50 MPs in the chamber. Apparently, when the division bell rang 80+ MPs, who had not heard a single word of the debate, rushed out of the bars, quickly voted and rushed back to watch the footie.

Now I know this sort of thing happens all the time but to carry on doing it, laughing all the while, when they know full well that the spotlight is currently on these idiotic Parliamentary procedures, demonstrates complete contempt for democracy, and the privileged role we. their voters. have given them.

Baggs Tue 19-Jun-18 06:03:22

Another (sadly) Labour MP is reported to have said this:
"“How many hours will be required to arrive at the conclusion that the taking of photographs underneath, mainly, women’s clothes by perverts is a bad thing?”

Why do so many people not get it? Of course it's a bad thing and of course nearly everyone thinks it's a bad thing. I bet even some of the people who do it think that in their better moments.

Whether it's a bad thing isn't the point.

One thing that's puzzling me is this: if blocking PMBs is so noisome and if Chope has been blocking PMBs for most of his parliamentary career (35 years), why has it only just been flagged up as Such An Awful Thing To Do? I bet he (and others) have blocked similarly 'worthy' PMBs before and yet nobody had heard of him except his constituents who kept voting him back in.

As I've indicated in previous posts, like nearly everyone else, I think this practice should have serious legal consequences for perpetrators. But I think the details of the law on those consequences should be very carefully decided.

I also think "banned" is a stupid word to use. The revolting practice is "banned" morally already. Making it a crime won't ban it any further; it might just make a few people not do it for fear of being caught. But the perverts will think of something else.

Baggs Tue 19-Jun-18 06:12:00

And I still say that there are various ways women can protect themselves from upskirting and downblousing. Most of us practice such 'protections' all the time, just as most men protect themselves all the time from ballogling.

OldMeg Tue 19-Jun-18 06:42:29

Oh, so it’s the women’s own fault for not protecting themselves. Of course!