Sir Christopher Chope blocks anti-FGM bill designed to protect children after delaying upskirting ban last year

Sir Christopher Chope is blocking good ideas again.

The Conservative MP, who objected to a bill to ban upskirting and a pardon for Alan Turing, has now blocked a bill which would help prevent female genital mutilation (FGM) of children.

Under parliamentary rules, only one MP has to shout “object” to a bill to stall its progress.

Chope, who knighted in the 2018 New Year Honours for "political and public service", is part of a group of backbench Tory MPs who regularly object to private members bills because they don’t believe they receive enough scrutiny.

He also stalled the anti-FGM bill in November last year and described it as “virtue signalling”.

This time, his actions were condemned by opposition and Tory MPs, including home secretary Sajid Javid.

And Chope’s “principled” reasons for blocking the bill are not as consistent as you’d expect.

Additionally, many say the anti-FGM bill has seen proper scrutiny as it has moved through parliament, including Chope’s own party.

A government source told Buzzfeed News earlier in the day:

We have done everything we can to support this bill. Christopher Chope is wrong. It will receive all the proper scrutiny during its passage through parliament. We hope he changes his mind and recognises it would be wrong to object to the bill today.

Political journalists were sick and tired of seeing the Tory MP once again disrupting bills which have widespread public and parliamentary support.

As were anti-FGM campaigners like Nimco Ali, who tried to convince Chope personally to not block the bill.

The bill will now have to wait until 15 March to be heard again.

It is unclear whether he will try to block the bill then.

However, one person who shouldn’t receive any blame in all of this is journalist Christopher Hope.

The bill-blocking Chope does not have a Twitter account.

More: MP who blocked upskirting law gets pranked by his colleagues