Only the Liberal Democrats and Green party appear to have clear policies on the porn and sex industries:
Lib Dems
- Decriminalise pimps and punters
- Allow ‘consensual sex trafficking’
- View prostitution as ‘fun and rewarding work’
- Aim: ‘Transactional sex should be no different to sex’
- Oppose porn age verification
The Lib Dem’s stated policy aim is that ‘transactional sex should be no different from sex’. To that end, pimping and sex buying would be decriminalised. Even sex traffickers are decriminalised if it is ‘consensual’. Lib dem policy also vehemently opposes porn verification to end children’s access to extreme violent porn, as ‘extreme and illiberal’.
These policies are part of a long pro-sex industry track record. The Lib Dems opposed porn ‘opt in’ in 2013 to prevent children’s access to pornography. And until 2017, party policy was for 16 year olds to be used in hard core pornography.
Pornographers have also long been connected with the party. A pornography who advocates for simulated rape porn has been selected as a Parliamentary candidate, backed by then leader, Nick Clegg whilst a pornographer, party activist and former Lib Dem councillor used local party HQ to recruit for porn films.
These policies are not just pieces of paper, when the party has power it pushes them forward. Under the Tory-Lib Dem coalition government, a group advocating for pimp decriminalisation was funded to set up the ‘Ugly Mugs’ scheme. This calls out violent punters – a worthy goal indeed, but why was this commissioned to an organisation that lobbies for the decriminalisation of pimps?
Take Action
Tell the Lib Dems to reverse its harmful policies
Challenges
In 2018, we protested outside Lib Dem party conference, featured in the Daily Mail.
In 2019, campaigners and sex industry survivors (who represent the 90% in the industry who seek to escape) lobbied the Scottish Lib Dems to reconsider their ‘pro pimp’ approach. Although the motion wasn’t passed, 1/3 of delegates agreed, with the debate receiving extensive coverage:
The Greens
The Greens view prostitution as ‘normal work’ and would decriminalise pimps and punters whilst providing exit support to those who wish to leave the sex industry (90%). In reality, no country that has decriminalised the sex industry provides any meaningful exit support – how can it, for what other normal job do you need intensive support to escape and recover?