The Greens back legalising prostitution and freeing up access to sexually explicit pornography, a party policy document seen by the Daily Mail has revealed.
Sex work involving consenting adults ‘should be decriminalised’, while restrictions and censorship of sexually explicit material ‘should be ended’ – except for those protecting children, the Green Party‘s official policy states.
Brothels could also become a feature of Britain’s high streets under the Greens’ plans, which would make it legal for commercial properties to be turned into such establishments.
Local authorities would license the brothels to both ‘protect’ workers and clients and to help shield local communities from ‘nuisance and abuse’, while brothels could operate from residential properties without a licence.
‘Wherever possible particular areas should be designated where street prostitutes can work in safety without upsetting local residents and traders,’ the policy adds.
Green leader Zack Polanski has publicly backed the policy – saying that decriminalisation of sex work ‘puts the power in the workers hands to create their own terms and conditions’ when running for party leader last year.
The Green Party’s candidate in Thursday’s Gorton and Denton by-election – expected to be a tight race between the Greens, Labour and Reform UK – also supports the plans.
During an internal Green Party election last year Hannah Spencer set out her stall on a series of controversial policies – including making clear she believes ‘sex work should not be criminalised‘.
Green leader Zack Polanski has publicly backed legalising sex work – saying that decriminalisation ‘puts the power in the workers hands to create their own terms and conditions’ when running for party leader last year
During an internal party election last year Gorton and Denton Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer set out her stall on a series of controversial policies – including making clear she believes ‘sex work should not be criminalised’
But Ms Spencer’s stance could threaten support for the Green Party in Gorton and Denton, where the Greens’ latest campaign video saw their candidate speaking in Urdu to appeal directly to Muslim voters.
Prostitution is considered strictly ‘haram’ in Islam, meaning it is seen as a sinful practice.
Legalising sex work has been slammed by rival parties.
This came after the Prime Minister visited Gorton and Denton on Monday, where he hit out at the Greens’ ‘disgusting’ drugs policy – which aims to legalise drugs including crack cocaine and heroin.
A Conservative Party spokesman said the Greens are continuing to demonstrate ‘why they are not a serious party of government’ and that prostitution ‘leaves vulnerable women exposed to exploitation’.
A spokesman from Reform, which on Monday dubbed its own proposal to criminalise acts encouraging illegal entry to the UK the ‘Polanski law’, said voting for the Greens in Gorton and Denton ‘is a vote for legalised prostitution, legalised crack cocaine and heroin, and open border chaos’.
The Greens are calling for sex workers to be empowered to unionise, and for government, public services and the judiciary to help end stigmatisation of such work.
Sex workers would also benefit from free regular health checks according to the policy, to ‘protect both them and their clients’.
Green Party policy is voted through by members at the party’s annual conference.
While Green Party policies were publicly available on the party’s website before the start of the 2024 general election campaign, they are now only available to view online by members.
A Green Party spokesperson said: ‘Rather than criminalising people for choices they make about their own bodies, we will take the industry out of the hands of criminal gangs and ensure sex workers are properly protected.’
