The Libertarian Alliance, the radical free market and civil liberties pressure group, today denounces Justice Minister Harriet Harman for her proposal to criminalise the purchase of sexual services.

Libertarian Alliance Director, Sean Gabb, says:

"We believe in the right of consenting adults to associate as they see fit. If a buyer and seller of sexual services come together and reach agreement on terms, it is an infringement of their personal freedom for the authorities to interfere.

"Of course, this is not an argument our politicians are likely to understand, let alone accept. But anyone but a fool should realise that the trade in sexual services cannot be suppressed. The desire of buyers for sex and of sellers for money, and the private nature of the transactions, will make any attempt at suppression a miserable failure.

"But while a ban on paying for sex cannot end the trade, it will change the market for sexual services. It will tend to frighten off the more genteel clients, and make prostitutes into genuine victims They will fall more under the control of pimps - the more violent, the better for ensuring payment. They will need to pay higher bribes to the police - bribes to have their clients left alone.

"If Miss Harman is appealing for the votes of violent pimps and bent policemen, this proposal is an interesting first step. If she is seriously trying to protect prostitutes and other sex workers from harm, we finally accept that she really did believe in those weapons of mass destruction and the possibility of exporting democracy to Iraq at gunpoint.

"In either case, the woman is unfit for any public office."

The Libertarian Alliance Believes:

• That all laws against the marketing and supply of sexual services should be repealed:
• That contracts between adults for sexual services should be subject to the laws as for any other good or service.

---

http://www.libertarian.co.uk/news/nr061.htm