The Scottish National Party has backed changes to prostitution laws to criminalise those paying for sex, but not those who sell it.
Delegates at the party’s conference in Aberdeen voted in favour of a motion proposing a “Scottish model” to handle prostitution, similar to the “Nordic model” used in Scandinavian countries.
The resolution, proposed by MSP Ash Denham, stated that “commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution and human trafficking, is a form of violence against women”.
Currently, selling sex in Scotland is not illegal, but a number of related activities such as “brothel-keeping” and “controlling prostitution for gain” are.
For example, while indoor sex work is legal in Scotland, more than one person working together is considered an illegal brothel.
The SNP’s decision drew criticism from some sex worker organisations, who said that full decriminalisation was the only way to the ensure the safety of sex workers.
