Holyrood rejects prostitution Bill aimed at criminalising ‘sex buyers’

The Scottish Parliament has voted against the general principles of a Bill to criminalise the purchase of sex.

MSPs rejected Ash Regan MSP’s Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill by 64 votes to 54 at Stage 1. The Government did not support the Bill, but six SNP MSPs defied the party whip to vote in favour.

The Christian Institute welcomed Regan’s goal of reducing demand by criminalising the purchase of sex in Scotland, but urged MSPs to help women leave prostitution behind for good without the Bill’s proposal to decriminalise the ‘supply’ side.

Exploitation

Regan told MSPs: “This ‘Unbuyable Bill’ recognises prostitution for what it is – a system of exploitation and violence sustained by demand.”

Following the Bill’s defeat, she warned: “The Government’s position risks entrenching a dangerous status quo, one where men continue to purchase sexual access to women with impunity, and the criminal sex trade flourishes, while women and children are left exposed to harm.”

Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives supported the Bill, with the Scottish Greens and Scottish Liberal Democrats against it.

‘Normalised’

According to new analysis of the UK’s National Referral Mechanism 2024 data, 78 per cent of sex-trafficking victims are female. Of the 135 victims in 2024, 36 were children.

Eleanor Lyons, the UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, told Holyrood: “Survivors describe being trafficked via adult services websites by organised criminal gangs and express fear of these networks long after they have managed to exit exploitation.”

“The evidence is clear. Sexual exploitation is increasing. Demand is increasing. The way that online platforms currently operate gives the potential to accelerate and conceal harm.

“The ‘sex work is work’ narrative does not reflect the reality described by survivors or by frontline law enforcement. The reality is that exploitation is being normalised, particularly for younger women.”