Sir Christopher Robert Chope OBE (born 19 May 1947) is a British politician and former barrister who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Christchurch in Dorset since 1997.

Chope was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Peter Brooke, the Minister of State at the Treasury in 1986, before being promoted by Margaret Thatcher to serve in her government as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment later in the same year, where he was responsible for steering through the Council Tax legislation, the replacement for the disastrous and derided Poll tax, which was withdrawn after a massive popular revolt.

In 1997, he became a spokesman on the Environment, Transport and the Regions as well as being the Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party under William Hague, but left the frontbench later that year when he became a member of the Trade and Industry Select committee.

[11][12] Chope was criticised following remarks made on 17 January 2013[13] when he referred to House of Commons dining room staff as "servants" in a speech.

[16] On 10 February 2009 Chope co-sponsored an Employment Opportunities Bill to the House of Commons, which would have enabled workers to opt out of the minimum wage.

[26] In June 2013 Chope was one of four MPs who camped outside Parliament in a move to facilitate parliamentary debate on an 'Alternative Queen's Speech' – an attempt to show what a future Conservative government might deliver.

[27] 42 policies were listed including reintroduction of the death penalty and conscription, the privatisation of the BBC, banning the burka in public places, holding a referendum on same-sex marriage and preparing to leave the European Union.

Chope's bills included legislation to privatise the BBC and Channel 4, limit the interest rate chargeable on student loan debt (and forgive it in certain circumstances), reduce stamp duty, and decriminalise TV licence-dodging.

[citation needed] The BBC's parliamentary correspondent, Mark D'Arcy, said the group claims to "make a practice of ensuring that what they see as well-meaning but flabby legislation is not lazily plopped on to the statute book by a few MPs on a poorly attended Friday sitting.

"[39] Chope said that he objects on principle to legislation being introduced to the statute books without debate: "[T]his 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.

[47] In the same month, Chope, alongside Philip Davies, the Conservative MP for Shipley, filibustered a bill intended to make revenge evictions an offence.

[49][50] In October 2015, Chope, Davies and Conservative MP David Nuttall filibustered a private member's bill that would have placed restrictions on hospital parking charges for carers.

[52] Following his objection, the government reaffirmed its commitment to introduce legislation to outlaw upskirting[54] and the bill passed subject to royal assent in January 2019.

[55] In protest at his actions, staff at the House of Commons placed a bunting of women's underwear outside Chope's office entrance.

[60][61] The conference was due to the mark the centenary of women's suffrage in the United Kingdom;[61][62] the motion had been moved by Conservative MP Mims Davies and was supported by Andrea Leadsom, the Leader of the House of Commons.

Defending his actions, Chope stated that the Commons chamber should only be used by elected parliamentarians, with the exception of its annual use by the UK Youth Parliament.

[60] Alongside Conservative MP Sir Desmond Swayne, Chope tabled an amendment to the motion which would require the conference to invite only parliamentarians and hold a debate while using the chamber.

[64] On 23 November 2018, Chope objected to a bill that would have amended the Children Act 1989 in order to increase the protective power of courts over girls at risk of female genital mutilation.

[70] In November 2021, Chope objected to a motion from the Select Committee on Standards that would have passed the report regarding the lobbying rules breached by Owen Paterson.