Jeremy Corbyn was criticised by Labour MPs yesterday for suggesting that prostitution should be decriminalised.
The Labour leader told students at Goldsmiths, University of London on Thursday night: “I am favour of decriminalising the sex industry. I don’t want people to be criminalised. I want to be [part of] a society where we don’t automatically criminalise people. Let’s do things in a bit more civilised way.”
Harriet Harman, the party’s former deputy leader, and the outspoken new Labour MP Jess Phillips heaped censure on the remarks, however.
Ms Harman tweeted: “Prostitution’s exploitation and abuse not ‘work/an industry’. Women should be protected and men prosecuted.”
Ms Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, wrote on social media: “Man says we should decriminalise a known violence against women. Why did it have to be this man. #shedstear.”
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A Labour party source said: “I think Jeremy was talking about decriminalising sex workers, not the people who pay for sex.” Mr Corbyn’s view echoes that of Amnesty International.