Regan’s Bill will show the women and girls of Scotland are not for sale - Susan Dalgety
Tomorrow is crunch time for Ash Regan’s Unbuyable bill, when it reaches Stage I debate in the Scottish Parliament.
MSPs will vote on the principles of the Edinburgh Eastern MSP’s legislation which, if passed, would criminalise the purchase of sex and decriminalise the women in prostitution.
It would also pardon those who have criminal records of solicitation and offer support to those who want to leave.
But to have even the slimmest chance of being passed before this session of parliament ends on 25 March, the bill has to win the approval of a majority of MSPs tomorrow and that is still in the balance.
In an interview with LBC a few days ago, the First Minister John Swinney said “The government view is that men should not be able to buy sex, so we agree with that principle”.
But he did not commit to supporting his former SNP colleague’s bill, saying he and his group of MSPs were still looking at the bill. “Is it in the right place?” he asked.
The First Minister has been an MSP since 1999. He knows more than anyone at Holyrood that a Stage 1 debate is to agree the principles of a bill, with the detail being thrashed out at Stages 2 and 3.
If he is sincere in his view that men should not be able to buy sex, then surely he has no option but to support Ash Regan’s bill, and to tell his 59 SNP MSPs to do the same.
Scottish Labour, who have concerns about how the bill will be implemented, have indicated they will back it tomorrow. Many Conservative MPS are in favour of the bill, and it is likely their group will at least vote for it pass its Stage 1 debate. But it will need the support of some, if not all, SNPs MSPs to pass tomorrow.
As campaign group For Women Scotland write on their website, there is no reason why SNP MSPs shouldn’t vote for it at this stage, if only to send the clear message to the sex trade that the women and girls of Scotland are not for sale.