Christchurch MP Sir Chris Chope defends blocking FGM child protection law
CHRISTCHURCH MP Sir Chris Chope has defended himself against accusations of “disgraceful behaviour” after scuppering a proposed law to protect children in danger of female genital mutilation.
Sir Chris came under fire for yet another controversial objection in the House of Commons to block a private members’ bill to amend the Children Act 1989 so youngsters deemed at risk of the illegal practice could be taken into care.
Proposed laws Sir Chris has previously obstructed include prohibiting taking photos up dresses, known as ‘upskirting’; equal pay for women; and protecting police dogs and horses from stabbings.
A government spokesperson said it was “disappointed” at the result – which provoked local artist Lorna Rees to string underwear outside Sir Chris’s office in Bargates, in a repeat of her protest against his upskirting stance.
Mrs Rees said: “He’s playing parliamentary games, digging his heels in and potentially harming women and girls as a result, essentially aiding FGM to continue for longer. This is simply inexcusable – and I know many of his constituents feel the same way.
“He has demonstrated time and time again that he is only interested in bureaucratic procedure, playing parliamentary games ‘to prove a point’ and certainly not in the best interests of his constituents.”
Under legislative rules, an MP can call out “object” effectively to block private members’ bills by MPs or peers that are not given parliamentary time by the government.
Sir Chris (71), who was knighted last year, defends his interventions as a protest against the principle of private members’ bills. He argues they do not enable enough scrutiny of legislation – despite submitting many himself.
Sir Chris told the A&T: “I utilise the privilege of being able to bring forward legislative proposals for debate but I do not whinge when my bills fall foul of not having sufficient time for debate.
“I believe that it would be perverse for me to give priority for bills far lower down in the queue than mine. My objections to bills being allowed to queue-jump is based on procedure and has nothing to do with the relative merits of the competing bills.”
The female genital mutilation (FGM) legislation by crossbench peer Lord Berkeley had already made it through the House of Lords when it came up in the Commons last Friday to progress to its second reading.
Lord Berkeley reacted on Twitter: “Disgraceful behaviour in the Commons as…Chope now blocks further protection for young girls at risk of FGM despite unanimous approval in the Lords.
“Democracy? You must be joking! Furious after two years of effort.”
He backed calls on social media for Sir Chris to be deselected, and said: “To him it’s all some weird game. After all this bill went through microscopic examination in the Lords and went to the Commons with unanimous backing.”
When Sir Chris objected to the upskirting bill, it was later taken up by the government before it eventually became law.
A government spokesperson told the A&T: “We are disappointed the bill did not pass second reading on Friday and we remain committed to supporting these measures through the House at the earliest possible opportunity.”
The spokesperson said FGM was “child abuse” from which the bill would help protect vulnerable girls.
Sir Chris was deluged on social media with abuse and calls for Christchurch residents to vote him out at the next election. He was first elected as the town’s MP in 1997.
Andy Dunne, chair of the Christchurch Labour party, reacted: “He is a disgrace and does not represent the good people here. Another dinosaur that needs confining to a museum.”
Christchurch Conservative Association did not respond to the A&T’s request for comment on Sir Chris’s actions.
FGM, also known as female circumcision, is a procedure where the female genitals are deliberately cut without medical reason, usually before puberty and often with no anaesthetic. It can cause long-term problems with sex, childbirth and mental health.
