Legislation that would make taking upskirt photos illegal has been delayed after an elderly dinosaur broke into the House of Commons and swallowed the bill whole a single Conservative MP objected to it, and blocked its progress.
If no MP disagrees with a private member’s bill at its second reading, like the one positing a ban on upskirting today, then they are passed without a vote and allowed a third reading.
They often become a talking shop and struggle to pass – particularly if they’re put forward by opposition party MPs. Reactionary politicians like Chope and Philip “no-free-hospital-parking-for-carers” Davies claim to oppose such bills because they are merely virtue-signalling and procedurally often pointless.
But this one – the Voyeurism (Offences) Bill – was backed by the government, so it had a chance of becoming legislation at some point.
But oh NO, there was of course one rancid old Tory who’s decided in the name of parliamentary process, and, y’know, the eternal masculine right enshrined in Magna Carta to leer at ladies’ knickers, to oppose the bill.
“Object!” he shouted, when the bill was announced. Which, handily, doubles up as an adjective for how he seems to view the opposite sex.
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