Meeting of the Parliament 03 February 2026 [Draft]
It has been an interesting afternoon. I reiterate my point that the Parliament is at its best when we are wrestling with such debates. However, it is very clear to me that the approach that I outlined in my bill has won the argument decisively in the chamber this afternoon. There have been excellent speeches from Michelle Thomson, Ruth Maguire, Fergus Ewing and Stephen Kerr. However, we have not heard from the buyers.
The bill criminalises the purchase of sexual access, yet, throughout the committee’s scrutiny and throughout its evidence, the people whose behaviour would be criminalised are very conspicuous by their absence. There were no sex buyers—no men coming in front of the committee to account for or justify why they believe that their power entitles them to purchase access to another human being’s body. That matters because, when concerns are raised about safety, as they have been again today, we are told again and again that criminalising men will make women less safe, sellers will screen more carefully and women will be forced to vet in order to survive. Let us be honest: screening is not a safety measure; it is an attempt at a survival strategy that is used by women to try and navigate all the risks that are stacked against them—risks that are created by male entitlement, power and demand. It does not offer protection from violence.
I am sorry, minister, but if you had taken the time—