Blueprint for a Safe, Enterprising and Modern UK Sex Industry

You cannot legislate against a problem to make it go away. It won’t go anywhere. Like with so many things in the UK, and indeed the world, so many of society’s problems have simply been legislated against and then forgotten about. From animal cruelty to drug abuse, they have all been legislated against with very little concern for the human lives involved and affected by such legislation.

Sexual abuse towards sex workers in the UK is one prime example of a societal problem that has been legislated against without concern for the human lives involved. I have written in the past about the awful dangers UK prostitutes are in every working day of their lives. I intend to show how this “problem” can be turned into an opportunity. An opportunity to better the lives of all UK prostitutes and an opportunity to show the world the benefits of a safe regulated sex industry.

There are estimated to be around 100,000 people in the UK engaged with prostitution. A recent investigation by Poppy Project found that there were 921 brothels in the 33 London boroughs alone with an estimated collective yearly income of £50million-£130million. A huge proportion of this money is lost in the depths of international criminal organisations, helping to fund such things as human trafficking and drug smuggling.

To create the safe, enterprising and modern sex industry that the UK and all UK sex workers deserve we must take the power away from those criminals who currently pull the strings in the industry. Through legalisation and sensible regulation power will swiftly move from criminal bosses to sex workers, legal enterprising individuals and communities.

Many on the extreme ends of Libertarianism may shout me down for promoting regulation as a worthy cause in regards to the sex industry but I have reasons. The current problem is where the power lies; currently dangerous criminals. If legalisation were to come into effect, with no regulation, I see no way in which criminals like human traffickers would be thrown out of the industry. Quite simply you would achieve nothing but government approving criminals and their “establishments”. The industry needs a huge shake up of power, a shift towards putting the sex workers lives first.

I have used the word sensible regulation, but this can mean many different things to many different people. Some may believe sensible regulation within the sex industry means Government-Private partnerships, set hourly wages and advertising bans while others would just favour local planning regulations.


My definition of sensible regulation for the UK sex industry is as follows:


Sex Workers


All sex workers to be over 18 years of age
This one seems obvious enough. However in many countries with legalised and regulated sex industry’s they have a 21+ rule for all sex workers. I feel this overzealous regulation on age can leave many older teenage sex workers in the black market and in the hands of organised crime. That is why I propose anyone over the age of 18 years be free to engage in the industry.

Of sound mental judgement
This simple regulation makes a lot of sense in making sure those most vulnerable in our society are not taken advantage of by employers and customers.

In procession of a passport or proof of eligibility to work in the UK
Instantly wipe out a huge proportion of human trafficking by making it impossible to operate as a legal prostitute in the UK without proof of eligibility. This proof should be made available to any customer who seeks it.


Customers


To be over 18 years of age
In line with the universal age and other UK age restrictions.

No Condom? No Entry!
This single piece of regulation will do more to give power and safety to sex workers than any other.


Brothels


Common Sense Local Planning Permission
Currently the 921 brothels in London have no planning permission. They are more likely to have planning permission to be “massage parlours, dance clubs or saunas”. Some aren’t even in commercial premises and are instead in residential flats and streets surrounded by unknowing families and pensioners. Planning permission would have to be the responsibility of the local council and it’s community. However this does cause a significant problem in the form of NIMBY-ism (NotInMyBackYard). If councils and communities become too negative towards new legal brothels in their area nothing would have been achieved by legalising it, as it will once again sink into the criminal world with dodgy massage parlours springing up instead. A balance must be found.

Record of Workers
A record of who is working within the brothel is a necessity. This links in with workers having to have proof of eligibility to work in the UK. There are many different ways of running a legal brothel however. Almost all Dutch brothels do not actually directly employ the workers and instead lease out rooms. The workers are legally self-employed and are therefore responsible for their own paper work. Nonetheless I believe it should be up to the establishment owner to prove sex workers working on their premises are eligible to work in the UK and are over 18.


Legalising and regulating this controversial industry will not make the problems of human trafficking, exploitation and sexual abuse disappear. However it will go a long way in allowing sex workers to come out of the dark and into the legal world of employment and enterprise. The only way to help and support these workers is to bring them out of illegality.