On Monday morning, some MPs returning to work in the House of Commons were met with an unusual sight as the door to the office of Christopher Chope, 71, a Conservative MP, was decorated with frilly women’s underwear, hung like bunting across its frame.
Mr. Chope had been propelled to headlines and subject to ridicule across Britain a few days earlier after he single-handedly blocked a Bill that would have made upskirting — taking photographs up a person’s skirt without his/her permission — a specific criminal offence. Wera Hobhouse, a Liberal Democrat MP, had brought forward a private member’s Bill that attracted the support of parties across the political spectrum and whose smooth passage was all but guaranteed until Mr. Chope shouted “object”. Had no member objected, the Bill would have gone through but as his intervention required a debate to take place, for which there was insufficient time due to the stalling tactics of some MPs, passage of the Bill has been delayed at least until July.
Mr. Chope is no stranger to controversy. A former junior Minister in the administration of Margaret Thatcher, he has previously made statements in Parliament expressing his displeasure with private member’s Bills. He has, over the years blocked legislation on various issues. This included the Turing Bill, which would have retrospectively pardoned Alan Turing, a British computer scientist who was convicted under a legislation that criminalised homosexuality.
While Mr. Chope sought to present himself as a media victim — insisting that he was simply objecting to the passage of a private member’s Bill without debate — outrage was widespread as politicians, including those from within the Conservative Party, expressed frustration.
Lorna Rees, an artist, created more “bunting” outside the door of his constituency office with the words “no one should photo my pants unless I want them to.” Some drew parallels with the 2009 ‘Pink Chaddi Campaign’ in India, started in response to attacks on women at a pub in Mangalore.
“Upskirting is an invasion of privacy which leaves victims feeling degraded and distressed. I am disappointed the Bill didn’t make progress in the Commons today, and I want to see these measures pass through Parliament — with government support — soon,” said Prime Minister Theresa May. The Bill was later adopted as a government Bill and put before the House of Commons this Thursday.
Ongoing campaign
The anti-upskirting campaign was started last year after Gina Martin, a freelance writer, caught two men taking a picture up her skirt at a music festival in central London. While she confiscated the phone and the offenders were told to delete the photo by the police, the case, much to Ms. Martin’s shock, didn’t go any further. Though she received much support from men and women, she also had to face intimidation and trolling, she said.
Later, a celebrity lawyer triggered outrage by suggesting that women needed to assume “some responsibility for their attire”.
“Although there are existing offences that can be used to punish upskirting in some circumstances, there is a gap in the law,” acknowledged Justice Minister Lucy Frazer. She pointed to the limited scope of the “outraging public decency” legislation that required the offence to happen in a public place and at least two people to be present.“This law will close that loophole, and ensure there is no doubt that this activity is criminal and will not be tolerated,” she said.
Vidya Ram works for The Hindu and is based in London.
