Morning:
9°c
Harman plan to make paying for sex illegal in bid to stop trafficking
Joe Murphy, Political Editor04.09.08
New laws against men who use prostitutes came closer today as a survey revealed sex can be bought in London for just £15.
Harriet Harman stepped up her campaign to make it illegal to pay for sex by publishing opinion research showing 58 per cent of the public would back the move if it prevented the trafficking of women and children to the UK.
A government inquiry will report at the end of the year on proposals to reform the prostitution laws, which already make kerb-crawling illegal.
Her move came as shocking new research into the scale of London prostitution found huge numbers of foreign women are forced to sell their bodies for almost no reward.
Brothels in the capital also promise risky "extras", such as unprotected full sex which spreads HIV.
Anti-trafficking charity Poppy Project revealed the "disturbing prevalence" of prostitution by posing as punters to survey-more than 900 brothels. Many of the women involved had come from eastern Europe and south-east Asia - well known hotspots for young women being coerced into prostitution and trafficked to the west.
The average price for full sex was just under £62 but some were as cheap as £15 and one offered a 50 per cent discount for repeat visits.
Such low returns suggest women are being forced into the sex trade. Some brothels promised risky sexual practices for only £10 extra.
A researcher says in the report: "I do remember there was a chain of south east London places which promised 'the lowest prices in London' and a place in Islington stood out as sounding particularly unpleasant and dodgy."
Most of the brothels were in ordinary-residential streets. Report coauthor Helen Atkins said: "For most women, the reality is a cycle of violence and coercion, perpetuated by poverty and inequality."
Ms Harman's poll found men were more likely to regard prostitution as acceptable.
"Our survey suggests that there are double standards out there," she said. "Even among people who thought selling sex was a reasonable choice to make, the overwhelming majority would then find it unacceptable if a family member was working as a prostitute."
Some brothels offered "very young girls", implying they were under age.
Ms Atkins said: "It has been said that we are never more than six feet away from a rat in London.
"Apparently, something similar applies to brothels, places where thousands of women are regularly exploited by men who buy sex."
And Ms Harman, the Minister for Women, urged: "To protect women, we also need to tackle the demand side."
Reader views (24)
How many women (and men) have married someone who is much less attractive but is wealthy? Countless. We all know that rich people can have the pick of more attractive partners and don't say it is about personaility, it is also about money and power. If sex is agreed between two consenting adults, there is not an issue, whether it is paid for or not.
- Thomas Stevens, Middlesbrough, UK
The critical word is 'if'... We would support many things 'if' they worked. Who is to say, Harriet H might even support hanging if it deterred murder (well, maybe not)! Can the ES ask her, please? In the meantime why criminalise the honest bargain between the woman who has chosen to be a call girl, has registered with HMRC as self-employed and her client?
- David, London
I am a married man and I also have a regular arrangement with a respectable working girl who has her own house. I visit her once a month and she is not forced onto anything and does not have to walk the streets.
How is that HH's business?
- Hugh Jardon, London
Harriet Harman is a disgrace. She uses public funds to support the poppy project run by her pal julie brindle a man hating lesbian whose sole purpose is to manufacture results that support Harman's agenda. How many of that 58% would have said yes if the "to prevent trafficking " had not been added. What if the question had been " do you think your son should be sent to jail for paying for sex?". I am sure the average mother would say no. People who pay for sex are your sons, fathers and husbands, they are not criminals. You cannot legislate morals.
- John M, liverpool
Prostitution is not going to go away and the only way to go some way to prevent exploitation of women and trafficking of women is to legalise it and put measures in place to protect women's health and exploitation. Criminalising men using prostitutes is not the answer and will not stop prostitution.
- Patricia, London
I have always been in favour of state brothels, where the girls are checked medically & regulated.
Sometimes a man will be very much in love with his wife - except that she doesn't enjoy sex, particularly the more adventurous variety. By going to a brothel for his particular needs instead of having a love affair, he is protecting his marriage and able to get on with his life without being sexually frustrated and day-dreaming about that BJ he will never get from his wife.
Britain ... land of the free? You must be joking!
- Kathy Doyle, London
Don't they just make you sick? This gormless bunch of middle-class amateur do-gooders who are masquerading as "government". If they are allowed to continue so many people in this country will have a criminal record it will no longer mean anything. Most men have experienced a "one night stand" and its no use the women out there thinking that they have the moral high ground as there are plenty of them out there "on the pull" at the week-ends for exactly the same reason...sex!
Where do these ministers come from? Do they live in isolation on some far-flung island? This country is becoming the laughing stock of the world....the real world that is, not the PC, cotton wool wrapped world apparently populated by the politicians of the UK.
- Jeffers, maidstone
Surely we have more important things to fix like silly taxes, Nu-labour targets, the health service, transport and infrastructure, government debt, schooling for youngsters etc. etc.
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
On her blog Harriet Harman says "I’ve never agreed with the line from the English collective of Prostitutes that being a prostitute is a 'women’s rights' issue. I think prostitutes should be seen as victims and the “punters” as criminals."
Its worth pondering how breathtakingly condescending this statement is; she believes that all prostitutes are victims regardless of what the prostitutes themselves think. It is clear that far from wanting to make life better for prostitutes Harriet Harman hates the idea that a woman might actually choose to earn a living selling her sexual services because she sees it as a betrayal of feminism. (The existence of male prostitutes apparently does not cause her similar angst)
The effect of this law will be to frighten punters(men or women) away from high class agencies and independents (typically £150-450/hour). While its only effect on street prostitution and illegal brothels will be to make sure that punters feel they cannot report trafficked or under aged prostitutes to the police.
- Janet, London UK
This whole issue was debated at length last year. The consensus was that any new law was fraught with difficulty and did NOT have public support.
Now, the government of nanny-state wants another " right-on"" gesture and wheels out
Harriet Harman for another set of absurd legislation. Since 1997, Nu-Labour has created 3500 new offences, with no impact on rising crime. When will this control-freak party stop making criminals of us all?
-If I take a girlfriend out to dinner, does that somehow imply that I paid for sex?
- Keith Dehaverland, London, UK
It's people like Harriet Harman which make this country great! (Sarcasm intended)
- Jon Kent, Hertford. UK
Not this stupid thing again I thought this law had been thrown out last year! What is it about this government that insists on building this nanny state? Smoking booze, how do you make "paying for sex" illegal? If a woman marries a man of money and status isn't this paying for sex?
I am all in favour of cracking down on people trafficking and exploitation but the prostitution advisory bodies themselves have argued against it.
- Jason Stone, Stratford, Newham
Yeah, really smart. Instead of prosecuting the people traffickers and pimps, criminalise half the male population of this country. Just the kind of gormless meddling one has come to expect from this government.
- Uschi Obermayer, London, Knightsbridge
Hilarious, this plan should turn half the judiciary, police force and City of London into criminals. Why not legalise, license and tax?
- Broomstix Of Kensal Rise, London
Rather legalise it - at least that way it is controlled rather than being seedy and underground.
- Charlie, London
Harriet you haven't got a clue. You and the sisterhood need to wake up and smell the coffee.
- Duncan Bailey, London
It is shocking to know that women and even children are trafficked and forced to work in the sex trade and on a large scale. No decent man would participate in this. Yet we read in the Sunday papers of "high class" hookers who charge substantial sums and who presumably do it for the money, so the demand must be there. I think that Sweden has made it illegal for men to pay for sex, but has it made any difference? Will making it illegal here make things worse for sex workers themselves, since it makes their customer a criminal in the eyes of the law and this could change the whole dynamic. Do not think this is the answer. Ian writes about known massage parlours in Edinburgh, but it will surely be the covert brothels that are the real problem.
- Peter, London
Is this the ONLY way to prevent the trafficking of women and children to the UK? No. This is another example of polls constructed to achieve the required outcome.
Many men are lucky to receive £60 a day for back-breaking work, let alone £60 an hour (or presumably minute, in some cases). Are men being exploited by prostitutes because they are powerless to resist their primitive urges? I hear that lots of prostitutes enjoy the money and freedom that it brings.
King Canute knew that it is pointless to stop something that can't be stopped. Harman should regulate it, tax it, and that will stop the trafficking, and bring down disease. Otherwise, we will end up with murderers and thieves being thrown out of jail to make way for red blooded men with frigid wives, and destitute young girls on the streets.
- Chris, London
Will there be an exception for gay men paying for sex with men, as the psychology of it is quite different from that of heterosexual prostitution?
- Chaz, London, UK
This government is bankrupt on ideas and lets be honest the oldest profession has always been here no laws will ever eradicate it so its about time our leaders began to think! Legislate for protection to the working girls ensure that they are not beaten or drugged to perform their work make sure the pimps and drugs are eradicated no under-age girls and yes make it legal it will never go away so control and stop the spread of disease and violence but when we have a government that is immoral inept and lies at every possibility don’t expect the idiots in power to recognise the plain simple facts men will always want to buy this service it has always been the same since time immoral more stupid laws wont make the problem go away just increase the problem
- Spursrcrud, London UK
More unenforceable legislation, why cant politicians get real, prohibition didn’t work in the 30's and this won’t work now! If they want to deal with trafficking why not make that illegal, if it isn’t already…
- Ade, London
You mean that Labour are passing up the chance to tax something!
- Big Andy, London
There is no point in making it illegal to pay for sex. That has never worked, and never will [it doesn't work in the much-vaunted example of Sweden btw] , and aside from anything else who is going to enforce it?
What the Govt should be doing is to regulate the "industry" to ensure that women are not exploited as present. It should be self-funding too, as services supplied, profits and personal income would be taxable.
- Oscillator, London UK
In Edinburgh we have a fairly well supervised system of city council licensed massage parlours; the lothian & borders police ensure that these do not employ under age, illegal immigrants.
- Iain Morse, edinburgh.scotland
