This is a personal view, but, TLDR, Decrim isn\u2019t going to happen in the UK, and hasn\u2019t happened anywhere, (has it?). Not even in New South Wales, Australia, which is usually held up as the poster child for decrim..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asking lawmakers \u2013 largely politician lawyers \u2013 for decrim gets their backs up because they hear, \u201cchaos\u201d. Which scares them. They get visions of wild loud brothel orgies in residential homes. Women touting for business on the street outside churches and schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What SW asking for decrim are really asking for is SENSIBLE LEGALISATION. And asking lawmakers for SENSIBLE LEGALISATION is something they can hear. (If they want to.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do we want? To be treated like any other business!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When do we want it? NOW!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many SW say \u201cdecrim not legalisation\u201d because they equate legalisation with \u201claws that will in effect still make it hard to do business\u201d. Which is certainly one possible outcome, (hello Nevada, hello Nordic Model. But really FUCK OFF, Nordic Model).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But also, it can be like New South Wales<\/a>, which even SW organisations call decrim, but is actually legalisation. It\u2019s just the sensible type of legalisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It says no under 18s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It says you can\u2019t be on the street anywhere people live. (Which explains the escort mobile home trope in Outback Aussie movies).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brothels \u2013 very widely defined, but include single worker premises \u2013 are governed by planning laws. You can\u2019t open a brothel just anywhere, any more than you can turn a house into a bar, shop, hotel or office, without complying with local planning laws, which may allow, or may not. And the rules for running a brothel are very tough. If you fuck up just once, you can be closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However it does seem (my reading, and IANAL) that the law has a light touch approach to single worker premises, esp if it\u2019s their own home, so long as they don\u2019t operate in a way that disturbs the neighbours with noise\/traffic etc. The sort of things that would get ANY home operated business closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, for most SW operating as independents, or as workers in brothels in effect, the Gvt is off their backs. But it\u2019s via sensible legalisation, NOT decriminalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key Links<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n