Action Alert: How to oppose the Policing and Crime Bill
Stop the criminalisation of sex workers. Oppose the Policing and Crime Bill
Dear Friends,
Clauses in the Policing and Crime Bill are due to be debated at the end of October. We’ll keep you informed as we find out details.
Many of you have written before, expressing your opposition. Politicians claim to be targeting ‘demand’ i.e. clients. They hide that it is mainly women, prostitute women, who will bear the brunt of the new measures, and that by increasing criminalisation they undermine safety. None of us want to see another Ipswich. Now is the time to write again.
Please see our model letter below where you can make your particular case against these measures. Many people have expressed outrage that it is women in government who call themselves feminists who are attacking other women in this way.
Please copy any letter you write to us at ecp@prostitutescollective.net
Our briefing gives more detail.
Safety YES, victimisation NO.
Many thanks,
Cari Mitchell
—-
MODEL LETTER TO SEND TO PEERS
[YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS]
Dear [see list of Peers below.]
I strongly oppose clauses on prostitution in the Policing and Crime Bill 2009 which would: make it easier for the police to arrest women for “loitering and soliciting”; extend “closure orders” against sex workers’ premises; introduce compulsory “rehabilitation” of sex workers under threat of imprisonment; arrest presumed kerb-crawlers on a first offence; introduce a strict liability offence of “paying for sexual services of a prostitute subjected to force” (i.e. no need to show knowledge or recklessness); extend powers to search, seize and retain property under Proceeds of Crime legislation.
If these proposals become law, they will increase criminalisation and imprisonment, particularly of women, and push prostitution further underground, putting sex workers more at risk of violence.
[Add something about your own experience and your particular concerns . . . ]
These measures should be withdrawn. I urge you to speak and vote against them when they come to the Lords.
NAME
POSITION IF YOU HAVE ONE
——
List of peers to send model letter to:
Priority
Baroness Sue Miller, millers@parliament.uk
Baroness Vivien Stern, helen.fair@kcl.ac.uk
Baroness Angela Harris, harrisa@parliament.uk
Baroness Anita Gale, galea@parliament.uk
Baroness Anne Gibson, gibsona@parliament.uk
Baroness Betty Lockwood, House of Lords,SW1A 0PW
Baroness Cox, coxc@parliament.uk
Baroness Elspeth Howe, howee@parliament.uk
Baroness Flather, garyflather@yahoo.co.uk
Baroness Goudie, goudie@parliament.uk
Baroness Helena Kennedy, info@helenakennedy.co.uk
Baroness Howarth, House of Lords, SW1A 0PW
Baroness Jean Corston, corstonj@parliament.uk
Baroness Jenny Tonge, tongej@parliament.uk
Baroness Joan Hanham, hanhamj@parliament.uk & rosef@parliament.uk
Baroness Gould, gouldj@parliament.uk
Baroness Linklater, linklaterv@parliament.uk
Baroness Masham, susan@masham1935.fsnet.co.uk
Baroness Massey, masseyd@parliament.uk
Baroness Meacher, molly.meacher@eastlondon.nhs.uk
Baroness Nicholson, nicholsone@parliament.uk
Baroness Northover, northoverl@parliament.uk
Baroness Patricia Morris, morrispa@parliament.uk
Baroness Prosser, prosserm@parliament.uk
Baroness Seccombe, seccombej@parliament.uk
Baroness Thomas, thomasS@parliament.uk
Baroness Thornton, thorntong@parliament.uk
Baroness Verma, vermas@parliament.uk
Baroness Walmsley, walmsleyj@parliament.uk
Baroness Williams, williamss@parliament.uk
Baroness Young, younglo@parliament.uk
Bishop of Edmonton, bishop.edmonton@london.anglican.org
Bishop of Chelmsford, cnewlands@chelmsord.anglican.org
Bishop of Liverpool, bishopslodge@liverpool.anglican.org
Bishop of Norwich, bishop@bishopofnorwich.org
Bishop of Southwark, bishops.house@southwark.anglican.org
Bishop of Winchester, michael.scott-joynt@dsl.pipex.com
Earl of Sandwich, sandwichj@parliament.uk
Lord Blackwell, blackwelln@parliament.uk
Lord Desai, desaim@parliament.uk
Lord Dholakia, dholakian@parliament.uk
Lord Dubs, dubsa@parliament.uk
Lord Elton, eltonr@parliament.uk
Lord Griffiths, House of Lords SW1A 0PW
Lord Harries, harriesr@parliament.uk
Lord Harrison, lhaharrison@aol.com
Lord Hylton, hyltonr@parliament.uk
Lord Judd, juddf@parliament.uk
Lord Lester, lestera@parliament.uk
Lord Lloyd, House of Lords, SW1A 0PW
Lord Lucas, lucasr@parliament.uk
Lord Macdonald, macdonaldaj@parliament.uk
Lord Moy, moyw@parliament.uk
Lord Peston, pestonmh@parliament.uk
Lord Phillips, andrew_w_phillips@yahoo.com & a.phillips@bateswells.co.uk.
Lord Ramsbotham, ramsbothamd@parliament.uk
Lord Sheikh, sheikhm@parliament.uk & sheikh@camberford-law.com
Lord Skelmerdale, skelmersdaler@parliament.uk
Lord Taverne, dick@taverne.me.uk
Lord Treisman, triesmand@parliament.uk
Lord Trimble, trimbled@parliament.uk
Lord Watson, watsonm@parliament.uk
Lord West of Spithead, privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Lord Wolf, stevensonmm@parliament.uk
Viscount Bridgeman, bridgemanr@parliament.uk