I’m quoted in The Times today, talking about the Government proposals to cut off the phone lines used in newspaper or phone booth adverts for prostitutes:
Lynne Featherstone, the Liberal Democrat equalities spokeswoman, said: “It is a very good thing that the government is looking at this, but there is a danger that it could drive prostitution underground. Any moves to try to eradicate the client side would have to be incredibly carefully handled. In an ideal world prostitution shouldn’t exist, but we don’t live in an ideal world.”
You can read the full story here.
Lynne Featherstone 
What???? I disagree with street prostitution, making many women vulnerable to all types of exploitative behaviour. I think the utilisation of cards in phone booths and newspapers are suitably safer and less harmful. I agree with you, the Government have to seriously assess the damage it could have on female prostitutes, whom feel far more safer in using the telephone rather than taking the streets. Many of these women have a drug habit, or are unemployed or unemployable, thus making them more vulnerable to economic disadvantages. I empathise with the plight of so many of these women, many of them don’t do it because they want to do it, no normal person would, but many want to be able to do their personal stuff behind closed door. That is more acceptable, than using a side street. It is true, we don’t live in an ideal world, thus the reality is street prostitution. Whenever I see officers’ from the Met’s vice squad talking to these women, you can see that they really genuinely wanto to help make a difference to the lives of these women. Anyone who does, is sincerely a champion in my eyes.
This might work for landlines, but could you block PAYG sim cards with such ease? And what’s to stop the women simply buying another sim card? Presumably each time an attempt was made to block a number, they’d have to go through a relatively rigourous legal process.Oh, and then there’s email addresses, which is what they would presumably switch to if phone numbers became problematic.In other words, such legislation would appear to achieve very little apart from create a silly and expensive game of cat and mouse.
And for what end? You can take the political safe ground of saying prostitution should “ideally” not exist, but given the general lack of any objective study on non-street prostitution in the UK, should a Lib Dem be making such claims against the potential wishes of other liberally free people?
I’d like to see us as a party seriously thinking about calling for prostitution to be legalised so that it can be monitored and made safer and the money raised through taxing the people involved could be devoted to getting them out of the business.However, you’re right that we don’t live in an ideal world so there is no way we or anyone can stop prostitution. We can only make it less dangerous for those involved.