A seismic shift in Paris sends tremors through Westminster. France has scrapped statute of limitations for all sex crimes. No time limits. No escape for perpetrators. This is not a minor tweak. It is a revolution.
Labour MP Harriet Harman, veteran campaigner, wasted no time. She has tabled an urgent question in the Commons. Her demand: equal justice for British victims. The mood in the tea rooms is febrile. Backbenchers on all sides are restless. They smell blood.
The French law, passed with cross-party support, applies retrospectively. That means historic cases can now be prosecuted. Think Savile. Think the scandals that have haunted Westminster for decades. Police chiefs in London are cagey but admit they are watching closely.
Sources in the Home Office say Priti Patel is under pressure. She has previously rejected similar calls. But the French move changes the game. The Home Secretary faces a delicate balancing act. Hardliners in her own party fear a witch hunt. But the public mood is unforgiving.
I have spoken to a former special advisor. They told me: "This is a ticking bomb. The government knows it. They cannot ignore France forever." The optics are awful. The UK prides itself on justice. Yet victims here face a crushing wait for their day in court.
Polling data from YouGov this morning shows 68% of voters support abolition. Even among Tory voters, the figure is 54%. That is dangerous territory for a government already haemorrhaging support.
But let's be clear about the battle ahead. The Ministry of Justice is a fortress of caution. They argue scrapping limits would overwhelm courts. They cite false allegations. These are familiar defences. They sounded tired even before the Eiffel Tower lit up with Vive la Justice.
The French decision has galvanised a coalition of campaigners. They include survivors, lawyers, and crossbench peers. Their strategy is relentless: compare, contrast, embarrass. They know that in the court of public opinion, Britain is now lagging behind.
I hear Number 10 is deeply aware of the political cost. The PM has kept his head down. But his aides are scrambling for a response. They know that silence will be read as indifference.
This story is far from done. It has legs. And a very uncomfortable feeling in the west lobby that something has shifted. The old rules no longer apply. Not in Paris. And perhaps not in London for much longer.
