Liberal Democrat MP Were Hobhouse, who was previously a LiB Dem Councillor in Rochdale, has declared victory her bid to make ‘upskirting’ a specific criminal offence.

Ms Hobhouse had brought a Private Members’ Bill to make the practice a specific officen, but the Bill was blocked by a Conservative MP Christpher Chope (he also blocked a bill to make injur police dogs and horses on the same day…).

The Government’s Justice Minister has met with Ms Hobhouse and, on behalf of the Government, agreed to take her Bill through Parliament.

Wera (second from left above) said:

“I’m very happy that the law is changing, this is a huge victory for women across the country. I hope this can go through on Friday 6th July with my Bill, but my main concern now is that the law is changed as soon as possible and therefore I also welcome the Government Bill.

It seems unfair that just one person was able to block a Bill that we had spent so long building cross party consensus behind, but reform for Private Members’ Bills is for another day.”