Paul Chambers speaks to the political officer of Scotland for Decrim about their opposition to Ash Regan’s Prostitution Bill.

Alba MSP Ash Regan is still pushing forward with her agenda to implement the flawed Nordic Model of prostitution. On May 20th, Regan unveiled her Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill, which she claims will protect women, as “buying sexual access to a human being is a form of male violence.” However, there are legitimate concerns that this Bill, based on the Nordic Model, will drive sex work underground and endanger those women working within it. When confronted with these concerns, Regan delivered the following jaw-dropping response:

“You cannot possibly drive prostitution underground, …if you had a lot of women in underground cellars with a locked door, how would the punters get to them?”

For any politician to be so determined to introduce such questionable legislation, while possessing such ignorance of the issue this legislation hopes to address, is simply breathtaking. Those who are well-informed on the issue – the currently active sex workers who will actually be affected by this legislation – are vehemently opposed to Regan’s proposals. The grassroots campaign Scotland for Decrim have branded the proposals “disastrous.” I asked Decrim’s Political Officer for Scotland some questions about the topic.

——

When did you set up Scotland for Decrim, and why?

Scotland for Decrim was set up in Spring 2024, with our public launch taking place outside the Scottish Parliament with a protest in December of the same year. Scotland for Decrim was set up in order to fight for the full decriminalisation of sex work in Scotland, and to organise against the introduction of the Nordic Model. 

How would you define the Nordic Model?

The Nordic Model seeks to criminalise the clients of sex workers in an attempt to “end demand” for sex work. However, without removing the structures of society (such as poverty) that lead people into sex work, this creates further danger for the workers. 

What are the specific harms you see which the Nordic Model would cause? 

The Nordic Model means that clients are less likely to give information required for reasons of safety, such as a deposit, identification, and references from other workers. It also means that anyone who is involved in street-based sex work can no longer work consistently in the same area for reasons of safety. This means they become further isolated and meet clients in more dangerous conditions. It also has an impact on negotiations – about what specific acts will be involved as well as condom usage – due to clients wanting to avoid police detection as much as possible. 

It drives people into more desperate situations, again without removing the reasons why​ people enter sex work. Workers will still have to make money and will have to put themselves into dangerous situations in order to do so.

Regan and her team constantly spread misinformation that the Nordic Model would fully decriminalise the worker. This is completely false. Sex workers can still be arrested for so-called “brothel keeping”, when two or more workers work in the same premises for reasons of safety. In Ireland, workers are still being arrested despite the Nordic Model being law there, and the insistence that workers will no longer be prosecuted. 80% of those arrested in Ireland are migrants. Police target the most vulnerable amongst us. 

This is a failed model based on moralistic arguments which do not hold up to scrutiny. If Regan truly wanted sex workers to be as safe as possible, she would be fighting for decriminalisation. 

Has Ash Regan made any attempt to engage with you or your colleagues to learn your perspective?

She once offered to speak with our Chair, but when attempts were made to contact her they were ignored. Ash Regan has still not met with anyone who is a current sex worker, who will actually be affected by this Bill. 

Given the lack of popular support the Nordic Model has, why are people like Ash Regan so determined to introduce it as law?

I believe their determination stems from a split in the current feminist movement in Scotland. On the one hand we have feminists who see the fight against patriarchy as part of a connection between broader movements such as anti-transphobia, anti-racism, anti-Zionism, and anti-capitalism. On the other, we see those who are embedded within the social and political structures of Scottish life who support a form of feminism called carceral feminism. That is, seeing the state and criminal justice system as the primary focus for how to deal with gender inequality. 

What these so-called feminists fail to realise is that often, the most violent aspects of patriarchy stem directly from the state and the criminal justice system. These feminists see Police Scotland as their protectors, but those people who are actually sex workers will tell you about the constant stigma, discrimination and harassment from Police Scotland. We need only refer to the Emma Caldwell case and public inquiry. Many police officers were clients of Emma’s, and when some of Emma’s colleagues went to the police to report similar behaviour from Iain Packer, it was them who were arrested, not Packer. 

The Nordic Model has been in force in Northern Ireland since 2015, and the Republic of Ireland since 2017. It has failed to stop trafficking, and it has made sex work more dangerous, as Anna Rajmon’s brilliant memoir Elis – Irish Call Girl demonstrates. Is it fair to say that Ireland’s fate is precisely what you want Scotland to avoid?

Absolutely. We have seen rates of violence against sex workers drastically increase, as well as stigma becoming even more of an issue than before. It is horrifying to think of what will happen to sex workers in Scotland should this Bill be passed. Every sex-worker led organisation in the UK opposes the Nordic Model and supports decriminalisation. 

Given the harms that the Nordic Model causes in every jurisdiction it becomes law, why do you think someone like Fiona Broadfoot, who calls herself a “sex trade survivor”, would champion such a policy?

I don’t believe Fiona would describe herself as a sex worker and so I will respect that here. What Fiona describes was a horrific situation that none of us would ever want another person to be in, which is why we support those who wish to leave the industry and try to provide resources for this. Regan’s bill does not offer any further resources to exiting the industry. 

However, the Nordic Model does not have an effect on demand, or on trafficking. The overwhelming evidence demonstrates this, with work research from both Dundee and Napier Universities leading the way. Also, Fiona’s previous experiences are already criminalised. This Bill will not change that. Decriminalisation keeps abuse, exploitation, and trafficking illegal. 

What policy does Scotland for Decrim advocate instead of the Nordic Model? And what would the specific advantages of this policy be?

We are fighting for the full decriminalisation of sex work, and the removal of historic offences as well. Decriminalisation has shown to reduce stigma, create better relationships with police based on collaboration, improve access to healthcare, and dramatically decreases rates of violence against sex workers. It also means that sex workers are able to have more stable housing, have bank accounts that are not at risk of being shut down, can work together for reasons of safety, and will not have their children removed from their homes. 

One legitimate criticism of the New Zealand Prostitution Reform Act (PRA), which is generally seen as a successful example of decriminalisation, is that it doesn’t cover migrant workers on temporary visas, who would still be criminalised. What would you propose to address this?

A complete overhaul of the immigration system as we know it, so that the most vulnerable amongst us are not made easier targets for exploitation by laws that reflect outdated views about the movement of people across the globe. 

Are there regulations around the online advertising websites and forums relating to sex work that you would like to see implemented? There are issues of sex workers being unfairly exploited by such sites, and being vulnerable to doxxing and harassment by malicious clients. What can be done, in your view?

The biggest issue with online sex work and advertising online is the businesses who run the websites taking a large portion of the money generated by the worker. Often, this can be as much as a third of total income. 

With full decriminalisation, workers will be able to form trade unions and take part in collective bargaining, so we are able to hold these businesses to account. With the Nordic Model and other forms of partial criminalisation, the power is given back to these businesses. 

What can people who support your cause do to help?

Email your MSPs to explain why you do not support Ash Regan’s bill, and why you support full decriminalisation. There is an email template tool on our website; please personalise this as much as possible, as we are more likely to get a response this way. Ask them to meet with Scotland for Decrim to listen to those who will actually be affected by the introduction of this Bill. We are able to come out from our underground cellars for meetings with MSPs and other interested parties. 

In addition to the main Scotland for Decrim website, the group can also be connected with on Instagram and on Tiktok.

Paul Chambers is a ghostwriter and virtual assistant with a strong interest in civil rights. He has previously written for Bella Caledonia.