THIS column has dealt before with the filibustering antics of Philip Davies, the former bookmaker and now Shipley MP.

Filibustering is a deliberate tactic used by him, and a handful of other MPs, to speak at great length on a subject, filling up Parliamentary time slots which means that bills cannot be passed.

Davies has, among other things, blocked a plan for free hospital parking for carers, as part of his objection to the concept of private members’ bills, which can lead to legislation being introduced by any MP on any issue if it gets the backing of the House.

But it was his performance with Christopher Chope to block plans to make ‘upskirting’ – taking photos up women’s skirts ¬– an offence, which really has to be his finest hour.

Davies is a known advocate of ‘men’s rights’, a concept I still find funnier than Ken Dodd’s tickling stick, and frequently teams up with his partner in crime Chope to block anything which might improve women’s lives.

He obviously thinks it is a man’s right to stick a camera up a woman’s skirt and take photos of her pants.

Chope returned to his Westminster office this week to find bunting made out of ladies’ pants draped across his door, and the whole furore has gained momentum.

But amid the buzz of furious feminists there was one more transgression by the dynamic duo.

They also blocked Andy Slaughter MP’s bill to force public contractors and housing associations to be subject to the Freedom of Information Act – a law which would, as Slaughter said, shine a light into the organisations such as the tenant management organisation which managed Grenfell Tower.

But no, it seems Davies and Chope - who apparently refers to House of Commons restaurant staff as ‘servants’ and claimed £800 of taxpayers’ money repairing a sofa some years back – decided their objection to private members’ bills is far more important than any of those subjects.

The two men talked for four hours after once again taking advantage of an old Commons rule which prevents MPs voting on a bill on a Friday if the debate goes past 2.30pm.

It’s frightening to think that these two Conservative MPs are elected representatives and using loopholes in Parliamentary law to frustrate debate and interfere with democracy.

This ridiculous practice needs to be stopped and MPs penalised for their anti-democractic, attention-seeking behaviour.

I'M sure Mr Davies would also think it was a 'man’s right' to be able to ogle at ‘pit girls’ on the race tracks.

After they were banned from Formula One, I was disappointed to see dozens of pictures of scantily-dressed pit girls come in from our freelance phorographer at the British Touring Car Championship at Croft Circuit at the weekend. I think the girl-car photo ratio was pretty even.

Come on Croft, time you stepped into the 21st century and banned the pit girls too. Do we really need signs held up on the race track by women in tiny dresses?

Or as my colleague Charlotte says: “If the drivers can’t work out where they’re meant to be, then they shouldn’t be driving."