The Local Governance of Street Sex Work in the United Kingdom

Abstract

The 2006 Coordinated Prostitution Strategy set out the aim of the then New Labour government to eradicate sex work from the streets of England and Wales. Towards achieving this Utopia, localized consultation with the community was demanded to ascertain community need to facilitate the development of evidence-based policies that would reside within existing local community safety frameworks. This article draws on an empirical study that considered “community perspectives” of street sex work in the Capital of Wales, Cardiff, in 2010. Adopting a mixed methodology, the study engaged with community members most affected by street sex work to develop realistic evidence-based policy. Our findings deconstruct central perceptions regarding the “inevitability” of sex work and offer potential solutions from the community perspective. This raises questions about how community opinion is incorporated within local policy-making processes, where that opinion differs substantially from central policy. We argue that community consultation must be ethical in the sense that consultation findings must be capable of having some impact on policy decision making/development. In conclusion, we urge local partnerships and central governments to listen to the views from the “shop floor” and consider carefully the strategies suggested by communities—however bold they might be.