How dare David Blunkett compare himself to Josephine Butler, a compassionate woman who campaigned against the criminalisation of sex workers and the segregation of prostitute women away from their sisters. Blunkett’s record so far has been nothing but punitive. It includes:

Anti-Social Behaviour Orders against sex workers and clients resulting in prison sentences of up to five years. As women are the primary carers in society, this policy wrecks families and leads to children going into care. Over 60% of women in prison are mothers, and Blunkett is adding to this number.

Anti-trafficking legislation which is primarily used to deport sex workers. No evidence of force or coercion is needed to prove the offence. Police and immigration raids in Soho have demonstrated how immigrant prostitute women are being particularly targeted for arrest and removal. Fear of deportation prevents women from reporting violent assailants. Women from Soho are available for interview.

Targetting clients for arrest including disqualification from driving for those convicted of kerb-crawling. Working women in Sweden report that new laws criminalizing clients have driven women further underground and made women more vulnerable to exploitation by pimps and others. Women have less time to check clients out before jumping into a car, and have to work harder and take more risks to meet increasingly scared clients. Attacks have risen as a result.