Labour calls for purchase of sex to be criminalised

The purchase of sex should be criminalised but sex workers themselves should not face sanctions, Scottish Labour is to argue in its manifesto.

Published later this week, the manifesto will state: “Scottish Labour aims to tackle commercial sexual exploitation by challenging demand and by supporting those involved. It has a three-pronged framework: criminalising the buying of sex, decriminalising people involved in prostitution, and providing long-term support and exiting services for those exploited through prostitution.”

Attempts at Holyrood to criminalise the purchase of sex have failed, though its supporters say it would help protect vulnerable sex workers.

It is not illegal to pay for sex in Scotland, though kerb-crawling, brothel-keeping and public solicitation are illegal.

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant, who has campaigned for these changes, said that very little progress has been made.

She said: “We have an unequal society where it appears that we concede that men are entitled to sexual gratification even when that is at the expense of women. Worse than that our laws punish the women exploited in this way. In no other part of our society do we criminalise someone who has been a victim of violence.”

Ms Grant added: “Scottish Labour believes that we need to build a fair and equal Scotland and that we cannot do this while allowing this exploitation to continue. We will decriminalise women in prostitution and provide them with the support and services they need to rebuild their lives and their health.

“We will in turn ensure that it is unacceptable to exploit people in this way by making it a criminal offence to buy sex. This holds those who feed this industry to account for their actions, and will reduce demand for exploitative sexual activity. This will protect the most vulnerable in our society and will also reduce trafficking both within and to Scotland.”

Sex workers’ charity ScotPep said in the last Scottish Parliament session, however, that it disagreed with the policy and took issue with the assertion that all sex workers are victims.

It previously declared support for the Prostitution Law Reform (Scotland) Bill, which was introduced by independent MSP Jean Urquhart in the last session and proposed the decriminalisation of kerb-crawling, brothel-keeping and public solicitation as well as the purchase of sex.