Men Join Forces Ahead Of New Vote To Protect Girls From FGM
30 January 2019, 14:07
On Friday MPs are due to vote on a new anti-female genital mutilation law - and one rebel MP is being warned not to block it.
Last year Tory politician Sir Christopher Chope objected to plans to protect young girls at risk of FGM.
He also sparked uproar when he blocked legislation that would have made “upskirting” a crime.
The 71-year-old says he always shouts down Private Members’ Bills because they haven’t had enough scrutiny.
Now, a campaign group is calling for all MPs to get on board and #StopChope from blocking it again.
Ahead of vote, Tory MP Johnny Mercer, men’s fashion editor Tom Rake and campaigner Mohamed Ali joined James O’Brien in the LBC studio.
They all spoke out against FGM, with Mr Mercer saying: “It is child abuse and it goes on in the United Kingdom and if people knew the scale of this and the challenge of it, I think people would be much more fired up about it.”
“This practice has to end in this country and we need to do as much as we can abroad to put a stop to it.”
