… the Labour government’s approach to anything uncomfortable is in evidence again in the latest crime bill, the 54th of this government. (Who’s to blame for the rampant fear of crime? All of the evidence points to the government.)

As the Observer reports today, it is turning the clock back 25 years to jail prostitutes simply for being prostitutes. I mentioned this in a piece I wrote for Comment is Free on the campaign for Safety First for sex workers. As Observer reports:

The threat of tougher measures also appears to be at odds with the government’s beliefs. The use of ‘traditional’ enforcement involving police crackdowns does not appear to reduce disorder, Home Office research indicates .
Some 3,500 prostitutes a year are brought to court or cautioned for soliciting offences. Allowing courts to detain prostitutes could see thousands in prison over the next decade, according to experts, who believe the new powers will prove popular with police and magistrates frustrated by the number of offenders who default on fines.

So it doesn’t make any sense on the grounds of evidence, it threatens to worsen an already awful situation in the jails, but it will make the Daily Mail happy. Anyone else getting a sense of deja vu all over again?