Laura Lee, Jim Wells and your vote

Yesterday the DUP's Jim Wells declared in Stormont that Laura Lee was ''not a real sex worker, merely a front for the sex industry.'' Even by the often gutter level of Stormont politics, that was a new low.

Given that Wells and his DUP colleague Paul Givan researched Laura's website prior to her Justice Commitee appearance and questioned her at length on various aspects of her work, this statement is clearly a complete lie and Wells knows it. The obvious conclusion is that if Wells can so blatantly lie about this, how much of the other information regarding this bill can be believed? Yesterday yet again he spoke of ''women locked in cellars and apartments in Northern Ireland'' without one shred of evidence.

This bill, particularly clause 6 (now clause 15) has been concieved, manipulated and forced through as part of a DUP moral crusade. It has certainly had enthusiastic support from various NGOs and rather more grudging support from SF, UUP and the PSNI. But the DUP were the originators and are now pushing a new private members bill seeking to legalise discrimination against the gay community on the basis of ''religious conscience.''

The DUP are using Stormont to push their own prejudices against sexual issues they disapprove of, which is pretty much all of them. If allowed to continue, there would appear to be no limits to their censorship ambitions.

One thing Wells did admit yesterday was that no current sex workers (discounting Laura) had appeared before the commitee. Sex workers and clients have been very deliberately excluded from the debate and when QUB compiled a detailed report (which many of us here participated in) that actually got to the truth, it was completely dismissed by the usual suspects in Stormont. That report was commissioned by the Justice Minister and Alliance leader David Ford. In the event, Alliance were the only sizeable party to vote against clause 6, though Steven Agnew from the Greens and Basil McCrea from NI21 also deserve credit.

None of us here have been allowed official input on this legislation, but there is one thing we can still do. The QUB report suggested that there are around 17000 sex work clients in the North. That is a fair voting block. If each of those 17000 votes tactically at the next election (2015), the DUP could conceivably be damaged.

Most NI seats are safe, but four in particular could change hands this time round. They are three of the four Belfast seats and Fermanagh South Tyrone. In East Belfast in particular, the DUP are desperate to win this seat back from Alliance and are going to throw everything at doing so.

The constitutional question in NI has been solved for the forseeable future. The only reason for anyone to vote DUP these days is in approval of their policies. Anyone who is homophobic, opposes abortion in all circumstances, believes the earth is 6000 years old and doesn't care about the safety or rights of sex workers should certainly vote for them. Everyone else should go elsewhere. Staying at home on polling day achieves nothing. Casting a vote against can make a real difference.

The same principles are going to apply in the Republic as well. If it's true that around one in ten men have purchased sexual services, that group can make a difference on election day.

The passage of this bill and the methods used to push it through have exposed the kind of politicians and justice system we have. There is only one way to change that.

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Originally Posted by Davidontour

Yesterday the DUP's Jim Wells declared in Stormont that Laura Lee was ''not a real sex worker, merely a front for the sex industry.'' Even by the often gutter level of Stormont politics, that was a new low.

Given that Wells and his DUP colleague Paul Givan researched Laura's website prior to her Justice Commitee appearance and questioned her at length on various aspects of her work, this statement is clearly a complete lie and Wells knows it. The obvious conclusion is that if Wells can so blatantly lie about this, how much of the other information regarding this bill can be believed? Yesterday yet again he spoke of ''women locked in cellars and apartments in Northern Ireland'' without one shred of evidence.

This bill, particularly clause 6 (now clause 15) has been concieved, manipulated and forced through as part of a DUP moral crusade. It has certainly had enthusiastic support from various NGOs and rather more grudging support from SF, UUP and the PSNI. But the DUP were the originators and are now pushing a new private members bill seeking to legalise discrimination against the gay community on the basis of ''religious conscience.''

The DUP are using Stormont to push their own prejudices against sexual issues they disapprove of, which is pretty much all of them. If allowed to continue, there would appear to be no limits to their censorship ambitions.

One thing Wells did admit yesterday was that no current sex workers (discounting Laura) had appeared before the commitee. Sex workers and clients have been very deliberately excluded from the debate and when QUB compiled a detailed report (which many of us here participated in) that actually got to the truth, it was completely dismissed by the usual suspects in Stormont. That report was commissioned by the Justice Minister and Alliance leader David Ford. In the event, Alliance were the only sizeable party to vote against clause 6, though Steven Agnew from the Greens and Basil McCrea from NI21 also deserve credit.

None of us here have been allowed official input on this legislation, but there is one thing we can still do. The QUB report suggested that there are around 17000 sex work clients in the North. That is a fair voting block. If each of those 17000 votes tactically at the next election (2015), the DUP could conceivably be damaged.

Most NI seats are safe, but four in particular could change hands this time round. They are three of the four Belfast seats and Fermanagh South Tyrone. In East Belfast in particular, the DUP are desperate to win this seat back from Alliance and are going to throw everything at doing so.

The constitutional question in NI has been solved for the forseeable future. The only reason for anyone to vote DUP these days is in approval of their policies. Anyone who is homophobic, opposes abortion in all circumstances, believes the earth is 6000 years old and doesn't care about the safety or rights of sex workers should certainly vote for them. Everyone else should go elsewhere. Staying at home on polling day achieves nothing. Casting a vote against can make a real difference.

The same principles are going to apply in the Republic as well. If it's true that around one in ten men have purchased sexual services, that group can make a difference on election day.

The passage of this bill and the methods used to push it through have exposed the kind of politicians and justice system we have. There is only way to change that.

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Majority of DUP and SF seats are safe and Stormont is a different kettle of fish to all others. Its a strange set-up and a very useless one at that.

Why not concentrate on more important matters like health where huge cuts are on there way but they are all only gutless Muppets.

While I admire your optimism I can’t see any particular political party or candidates getting elected on the back of promising to repeal the legislation so even if voters go against the DUP the incumbents won’t change anything.

I hugely admire Laura Lee for everything she has done, and continues to do, anyone aware of a good legal practice in Northern Ireland should check out her Twitter feed as she’s looking for representation. The woman should be given a medal for everything she has tried to do, but sadly I suspect that even she will be aware in her heart of hearts that this legislation is with us now for the long haul.

Most public opinion favours decriminalising prostitution but very few are willing to openly support such a move in public (after all, aren’t we all online here hiding behind our avatars) so a combination of religious and feminist groups can steamroll such ideas as the ‘Swedish Model’ through parliaments because they know so few will openly oppose it.

The next elections in Ireland, both north and south will be fought on many policies, but sadly this will not be one of them.

The only real hope is that those few dedicated activists, such as Laura Lee, will be able to continue their work until such time as unequivocal evidence that the Swedish Model does not work emerges from countries that have enacted it and it is repealed. Hopefully all this can happen sooner rather than later but more importantly before any of the women this legislation endangers come to any harm.

I live in a safe seat- I am "represented" by Geoffrey Donaldson . Even though there is no chance of kicking him out, I still think it's important to vote- they will see his majority reduced and wonder why. Having said that , maybe its best if they don't moderate there behavior- I hope they show themselves up .

You mention the health service, which is under the "care" of the DUP. I believe the budget is much larger per capita than the rest of the UK, and yet they are closing all the A&E departments and smaller hospirals. What have they done with the money? Are they just incompetent , or worse?

They, and I mean DUP, Sinn Fein, Ulster Unionist, SDLP, are a bunch of self serving, incompetent wankers whose main concern is getting themselves elected back into office to get their noses back into the trough at the expense of the ejits like me who vote every time thinking we will get someone worthy of our support. I am so disillusioned with the system we have now that it would be better if it was scrapped and direct rule re instated.

I haven't yet met Laura, but I hope to rectify this soon. And she is really courageous, speaking out in public while the rest of us hide behind our avatars. Such is the power of shame in norn iron.

I'm in the Fermanagh/South Tyrone area. I've not idea who my MLA is, nor do I care. It's quite clear to me that the vast majority of MLAs are useless lobby fodder. Only the Alliance and the Greens have the merest morsel of respect in my view. Whereas his Lordship boasts of his "Christian" principles while engaging in an orgy of back-slapping and brown noseing in the Assembly. Yet, IMO, his Lordship has no real idea of what Christian principles are. Just what sort of a democracy is this?—more like a theocracy. No respect for evidence, for none is needed; belief trumps all, even when the "evidence" is deeply flawed. Why did I bother to go to Queens and be interviewed for their report?

All sex is to be banned here, for, realistically, there is no sex without some sort of payment. I don't mind the payment, but these days I prefer it to be open, transparent and honest. While his Lordship hides under the blankets, in his PJs, in the dark.

And SF and the DUP can only agree on one thing: that sex is a bad thing. Well, at least there is to be a challenge to the abortion laws here in the north—and not before time.

It's all too late for me. My advice for the young: get the fuck out of this island, the social mores belong to the 19th century as far as politicians are concerned, people who govern us with our "consent", but whose mind set is steeped in religious hatred and bigotry. Things aren't likely to improve in your lifetime, leave while you can.

I may not like what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. (Sort of after Voltaire)


And when I meet Laura, the first thing I'll do is apologise for the mauling that she had at the hands of Jim Wells and the justice committee. I don't mind that he has differing ideas to me, no matter how mistaken. But I seriously object to the way that he—and some of the others on the committee—treated Laura. This is no way to treat a fellow human being. In short, he and those committee members are a bunch of cunts.

Apologies, if necessary, for the language.

[/rant]

Did I see lately that the Norwegians are thinking of repeal already?

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Originally Posted by liffey

Did I see lately that the Norwegians are thinking of repeal already?

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Yes, I've seen that too.

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Originally Posted by Bogman

They, and I mean DUP, Sinn Fein, Ulster Unionist, SDLP, are a bunch of self serving, incompetent wankers whose main concern is getting themselves elected back into office to get their noses back into the trough at the expense of the ejits like me who vote every time thinking we will get someone worthy of our support. I am so disillusioned with the system we have now that it would be better if it was scrapped and direct rule re instated.

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We have a similar problem with our own TD,s but that could change in the next General Election. Looks like over 33 % of the Dail could be made up of independents, a recipe for disaster.
They seem to forget the old adage when elected

Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.

Abraham Lincoln


Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/qu...hWLrxmYUzsC.99

They seem to have an other hidden agenda and these new sex laws are just a distraction from the main issues.