Sir Christopher Chope is the Conservative MP for Christchurch, and was first elected for this seat at the May 1997 general election. He previously represented the Southampton Itchen constituency from 1983 until 1992.  

A veteran MP and avowed Thatcherite, he gained notoriety in 2018 for trying to block a proposal to make upskirting a specific criminal offence.

In the 2024 general election, Chope won 16,941 votes, representing 35.8% of the vote. The Liberal Democrat candidate, Mike Cox, received 9,486 votes (20.0%), while the Reform UK candidate, Robin Adamson, secured 8,961 votes (18.9%). Chope was duly elected with a majority of 7,455 votes.  

The Christchurch constituency is located in the county of Dorset in South West England, bordering Hampshire. It includes Bournemouth Airport and is known for having a high proportion of older residents.  

The constituency is considered a safe Conservative seat, having returned a Conservative MP at every general election since the Second World War, with the exception of a period between 1993 and 1997, when it was held by the Liberal Democrats.

Political Career

Chope is a longstanding member of the panel of chairs (since May 2005). The panel of chairs is made up of MPs chosen by the House of Commons speaker, typically at the beginning of every parliament, to chair public bill committees and other commons general committees. In this capacity, Chope may chair debates in Westminster Hall and may also act as temporary chair during a committee of the whole House.

Since October 2024, Chope has been a member of the House of Commons energy security and net zero committee . The committee scrutinises the work of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

In addition, Chope is a member of the House of Commons procedure committee (since November 2024) – the committee responsible for considering the practice and procedure of the House in the conduct of its public business. It can make recommendations to the House about the operation of the House’s Standing Orders for public business.

Chope is also a member of the House of Commons modernisation committee (since September 2024). The modernisation committee is a cross-party committee of MPs that considers reforms to House of Commons procedures, standards, and working practices.

Chope served as a minister in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. He was parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for the Environment from 1986 to 1990. He was then appointed parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Transport, responsible for roads and traffic, from 1990 until 1992.  

Chope was parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to Peter Brooke, the minister of state at the Treasury in 1986. A PPS acts as an unpaid assistant to a minister, providing a link between the senior frontbencher and backbench MPs.

After losing his Southampton Itchen seat in the 1992 general election, Chope returned to parliament in 1997 representing Christchurch. He served as vice-chair of the Conservative Party from 1997 to 1998

Chope also held several shadow ministerial or spokesperson roles between 1997 and 2005. He was minister for environment, food and rural affairs (2003-2005 and 1997-1998), transport (2002-2003), the Treasury (2001-2002), and trade and industry (1998-1999).

More recently, Chope has gained a reputation for scrutinising, and often blocking, private members’ bills, particularly during Friday sittings of the commons. He states he does this on the principle that legislation requires sufficient debate. Notable instances include his objection to the second reading of the Voyeurism (Offences) Bill in 2018, which aimed to outlaw upskirting.

Commenting at the time, Chope told the Bournemouth Echo that he did support an upskirting ban and insisted he was not a “dinosaur”.

He said: “I feel a bit sore about being scapegoated over this. The suggestion that I am some kind of pervert is a complete travesty of the truth. It’s defamatory of my character and it’s very depressing some of my colleagues have been perpetuating that in the past 48 hours.”

Setting out his reasoning behind objecting the proposed legislation, and bills like it, he remarked: “The government has been hijacking time that is rightfully that of backbenchers. This is about who controls the House of Commons on Fridays and that’s where I am coming from. I actually support the bills that were before the house. Four of the 26 bills that fell at the same time were my own.

“But this is something I have fought for in most of my time as an MP and it goes to the very heart of the power balance between the government and parliament. The government is abusing parliamentary time for its own ends and in a democracy this is not acceptable. The government cannot just bring in what it wants on the nod. We don’t quite live in the Putin era yet.”

However, Chope was heavily criticised for objecting to the Voyeurism (Offences) Bill. Then-prime minister Theresa May intervened, saying she was “disappointed” the bill, proposed by Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse, did not progress upon Chope’s objection.

Liz Truss, then serving as a Treasury minister, called Chope’s decision to object “completely unacceptable” and vowed to speak to the MP in the hope he would “change his mind.”

Tobias Ellwood, a neighbouring MP to Chope’s Christchurch constituency and then a defence minister, condemned his Conservative colleague as a “dinosaur”.

Chope rejected the characterisation, telling the Bournemouth Echo: “I am not a dinosaur. I am very much alive and kicking. There are too few colleagues who are prepared to stand up for the rights of Parliament against the executive and that’s when the freedoms we cherish will be eroded.”

The government subsequently introduced legislation to ban upskirting. The Voyeurism Act received royal assent in February 2019.

https://x.com/theresa_may/status/1007710305621807104

Other bills Chope has objected to or filibustered include proposed legislation concerning an Alan Turing pardon (2013), banning wild animals in circuses (2014), hospital parking charges for carers (2015), and protections against female genital mutilation (FGM) (2019).

Zac Goldsmith, the Conservative MP who co-drafted the proposed changes regarding FGM, called Chope’s decision to object “appalling”.

The then-home secretary, Sajid Javid, said that he was “very disappointed” by the outcome.

Dawn Butler, Labour’s shadow equalities minister, commented: “It’s unacceptable that this dinosaur of a Tory MP consistently gets away with blocking new laws to protect the safety and rights of women.

“Christopher Chope is causing shame and embarrassment for the Tories but also for the country and it’s time for the Tories to show they really care about these issues by stripping him of the whip.”

https://x.com/sajidjavid/status/1093886073317588993

Chope has served on several House of Commons committees, including the procedure committee (1983-1987, 2005-2010 and 2016-present), the committee on the future relationship with the European Union (2017-2021), the home affairs committee (2017-2019) and the trade and industry committee (1999-2002).

Chope is listed as a member of a series of all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs), including community development, energy studies, and gardening and horticulture.

Chope delivered his maiden speech on 19 July 1983 during a debate on a motion relating to MPs’ salaries. In it, he stated: “Over the next few years we have a chance of making Britain a low inflation country. I hope that we shall not do anything tonight that will jeopardise our chance of setting an example for Britain and for many other countries in the western world.”

He added: “I ask [fellow MPs] to think of other people, including those who run small businesses, work much longer hours than we do and often face greater risks for less reward. We were prepared to be paid £X last year, so why are we not prepared to be paid £X plus 4 per cent. in the coming year?

“If we were able to manage last year, surely we should be able to manage in the coming year. In so doing, we shall be setting the right tone for the difficult battles that lie ahead on public expenditure and the control of inflation.”

Chope was knighted in the 2018 New Year Honours for political and public service.

Political views

Chope is considered to be on the right wing of the Conservative Party. He is a staunch Thatcherite and a traditionalist.

In 2010, alongside Peter Bone and Philip Hollobone, Chope was described as one of the “three Thatcherite musketeers of the Conservative backbenchers.” He was formerly chairman of the Conservative Way Forward group, a caucus of Thatcherite Tory MPs founded in 1991. Chope reportedly served as chair from 2001 to 2009.

The group was founded to “defend and build upon the achievements of the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher’s leadership, and to adapt the principles of her era in government to modern concerns and challenges”.

Also in 2010, he supported the European Union Membership (Referendum) Bill, calling for a public vote on the UK’s membership of the EU.

In 2013, Chope was among the Conservative MPs to draw up an “Alternative Queen’s Speech”, which featured policies including bringing back the death penalty, privatising the BBC, banning the burka in public spaces, scrapping wind farm subsidies, ending the ringfence for foreign aid spending and renaming the late August Bank Holiday “Margaret Thatcher Day”. It was seen as a protest, from figures on the Tory right, to the programme adopted by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government.

Leadership elections and loyalty

Tory leadership 2024: Chope supported Robert Jenrick’s candidacy in the 2024 Conservative Party leadership election. The contest was triggered by the resignation of Rishi Sunak following the party’s defeat in the 2024 general election.

Jenrick, a former immigration minister, positioned himself on the right wing of the party, advocating for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). He emerged as an early frontrunner, topping the first two parliamentary ballots. After reaching the final two, he was defeated in the membership vote by Kemi Badenoch, receiving 41,388 votes (43.5%) compared to Badenoch’s 53,806 (56.5%).

Chope was heavily criticised for suggesting that Badenoch was “too preoccupied” with her parental responsibilities to be a successful Tory leader.

In October 2024, Chope argued that Jenrick brought “more energy and commitment to the campaign”, adding: “As much as I like Kemi, she is preoccupied with her own children, quite understandably.”

Speaking to GB News, Badenoch responded: “Of course you can [be a mother and party leader]. I love my children. I have the most beautiful children in the world. I want to spend as much time with them as possible.

“I was able to be a great business secretary and trade secretary and equalities minister, effectively doing three jobs while balancing my home life.”

Tory leadership 2022 (I): Chope supported Liz Truss’ candidacy in the Conservative Party’s July-September 2022 leadership election. The contest was triggered by the resignation of Boris Johnson, following the mass exodus of more than 60 frontbenchers.

Truss, the then-foreign secretary, campaigned on a platform of sweeping tax cuts. After finishing second in the final parliamentary ballot with 113 votes, she won the subsequent vote of the party membership with 81,326 votes (57.4%) and was appointed prime minister on 6 September.

At the time of the mini-budget and its fallout (September-October 2022), Chope hit out at “hysterical” critics of Truss as prime minister.

He appeared critical of Truss’ repeat U-turns over her fiscal package, telling Sky News: “I supported her policies to increase growth and today at a stroke, she has abandoned those policies by increasing corporation tax.”

He added: “I think she is the only game in town – I’m not going to sign up with those hyenas in my party who want blood and another prime minister.”

Tory leadership 2022 (II): Chope supported Johnson’s explored candidacy in the Conservative Party’s October 2022 leadership election. The contest was triggered by the resignation of Liz Truss after just 45 days in office, following the financial and political tailspin triggered by her “mini-budget”.

Johnson, who had resigned as prime minister only months earlier, initially sought a return to office and claimed to have secured the 100 nominations required to proceed. However, he announced his withdrawal on 23 October, stating that “you can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.” Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers, later confirmed that Johnson had indeed secured the 100 MPs necessary to force a ballot of the Conservative membership – which he could well have won.

During the October leadership contest, in which Rishi Sunak emerged as frontrunner, Chope warned the former chancellor would face an “ungovernable” party.

“We have got a parliamentary party which is completely riven, and it’s ungovernable”, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

He added: “Unlike Boris [Johnson], who did have a mandate, we now have the prospect of having a Conservative party leader who doesn’t have the mandate from the country and won’t even have a mandate from the membership either…

“I supported Boris Johnson and I supported Liz Truss, and I saw before my very eyes their authority being undermined by the people who now wish to take over and inherit the crown.”

Chope, considered a loyal Johnson ally, warned MPs in July 2022 that they would “rue the day” the ex-prime minister was “forced to resign”.

In one of his last acts as prime minister, Johnson nominated Chope to serve on the commons privileges committee, which was tasked with investigating whether the PM had misled parliament over the partygate scandal. Truss, in one of her first acts as prime minister, withdrew the motion to nominate Chope to the committee.

In June 2022, Chope publicly declared their loyalty to Johnson ahead of a vote of no confidence in his leadership. The vote was triggered by discontent within the parliamentary party following the “partygate” scandal and the publication of the Sue Gray report. While the prime minister ultimately won the vote, the scale of the rebellion against him, with 148 of his own MPs voting to remove him, severely weakened his authority and presaged his resignation the following month.

Factional identity and party tradition

Cornerstone Group: Chope was a member of the Cornerstone Group, a highly traditionalist and socially conservative faction of Conservative MPs. Its political philosophy was summarised by its motto: “Faith, Flag, and Family”. In July 2005, the group published a pamphlet that accused the-leader Michael Howard of running a general election campaign that was too “timid” about tax cuts, public service reform and family values.

Rwanda rebellion (amendments): In January 2024, Chope was one of around 60 Conservative MPs who supported amendments to the government’s Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill. The amendments, proposed by Conservative MPs Sir Bill Cash and Robert Jenrick, sought to strengthen the proposed legislation by limiting the ability of individual asylum seekers to prevent their deportation to Rwanda, under the terms of the government’s flagship removals scheme. The rebellion was composed of Tory MPs on the right of the party.

Brexit and Europe

Brexit referendum: A veteran eurosceptic, Chope supported Leave in the 2016 referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union, and therefore agreed with a majority of constituents, 60% of whom also voted to Leave.

Article 50: In February 2017, Chope voted in favour of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill. The legislation empowered the prime minister to notify the Council of the European Union of the UK’s intention to withdraw, formally triggering the process set out in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. MPs supported the bill by 498 votes to 114 at second reading.

Leave Means Leave: Chope was a supporter of Leave Means Leave, a cross-party eurosceptic pressure group established in the aftermath of the 2016 EU referendum. The group, which described itself as “the campaign for a clean Brexit”, set out its opposition to any withdrawal agreement that it believed would keep the UK tied to EU rules and institutions – a position often referred to as a “hard Brexit”.

Brexit spartan: Chope was one of the 28 so-called “Brexit spartans”, a group of hardline Eurosceptic Conservative MPs who voted against then-prime minister Theresa May’s Brexit withdrawal agreement on all three occasions it was put to parliament in 2019. The so-called “spartans” argued that May’s deal did not represent a genuine departure from the European Union. Their steadfast opposition was a critical factor in May’s resignation as prime minister.

Assisted dying

Chope voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, better known as the assisted dying bill, at both second reading (November 2024) and third reading (June 2025).

Social values and conscience issues

Same-sex marriage (2013): In February 2013, Chope was one of the 139 Conservative MPs to vote against the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill at its second reading. The landmark piece of legislation, which received its second reading by 400 votes to 175, legalised marriage for same-sex couples in England and Wales.

Foreign policy and security

Trident renewal (2016): Chope voted in favour of a government motion calling for the renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent system in July 2016. The motion, which was passed by 472 votes to 117, committed the UK to constructing a new fleet of submarines to carry the nation’s nuclear weapons.

Iraq War authorisation vote (2003): In March 2003, Chope voted in favour of the government motion authorising military action against Iraq. The vote, one of the most contentious in recent parliamentary history, gave the prime minister, Tony Blair, the authority to join the US-led invasion.

Civil liberties

Covid passes vote (2021): Chope was one of 99 Conservative MPs to vote against Covid passes in England in December 2021.

Before Politics

Born Christopher Robert Chope in Putney, London, on 19 May 1947, his father was a circuit judge. He attended St Andrew’s Preparatory School in Eastbourne and Marlborough College.  

Chope studied law at the University of St Andrews, graduating in 1970. He completed his legal training at the Inns of Court School of Law and was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1972.  

Chope served on Wandsworth London Borough Council from 1974 to 1983, acting as Leader of the Council from 1979 until his first election to parliament in 1983. He was appointed an OBE in 1982 for services to local government.  

Personal Life

Chope is married to Christine Chope. They have an adult daughter and son.  

Trivia

In 2017, Chope and fellow Conservative MP Peter Bone camped in the Palace of Westminster for four nights to be first in the queue to secure slots for tabling private members’ bills. The pair were criticised for “abusing” the procedure, having drawn up 73 proposed laws between them.

Among the twosome’s package of bills was the idea to make “Brexit Day” a bank holiday.