Head of education, campaigns and organising for the General Federation of Trade Unions HENRY FOWLER explains why it is launching a fund to support trades councils and give them access to a new range of courses and resources
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Why decriminalising prostitution puts women and migrants at risk
Wherever prostitution laws are ‘liberalised,’ the result is a surge in human trafficking and abuse, writes STELLA BAILEY
While working people face austerity, arms companies enjoy massive government contracts, writes ARTHUR WEST, exposing how politicians exaggerate the Russian threat to justify spending on a sector that has the lowest employment multiplier
ANYA COOK reports from the Newcastle citizens’ assembly, where over 240 people gathered to create a people’s manifesto ahead of next year’s local elections – part of former mayor Jamie Driscoll’s Majority movement
While claiming to target fraud, Labour’s snooping Bill strips benefit recipients of privacy rights and presumption of innocence, writes CLAUDIA WEBBE, warning that algorithms with up to 25 per cent error rates could wrongfully investigate and harass millions of vulnerable people
Real security comes from having a secure base at home — Keir Starmer’s reckless and renegade decision to get Britain deeper into the proxy war against Russia is as dangerous as it is wasteful, writes SALLY SPIERS
The plan is to stigmatise and destabilise South Africa in preparation for breaking it up while creating a confused and highly racialised atmosphere around immigration in the US to aid in denying rights to non-white refugees, explains EMILE SCHEPERS
ALAN SIMPSON warns that Starmer’s triangulation strategy will fail just as New Labour’s did, with each rightward move by Labour pushing Tories further right
THE decriminalisation of prostitution is increasingly being proposed by many left-wing groups as a solution to the problems it generates. However, rather than being a step forward for women’s rights, it creates an imminent threat to them. Sex work is incredibly degrading for those who are exploited by it, and it is especially dangerous for migrant women.
Throughout history, women’s bodies have been commodified in different ways, like marriage arrangements in feudal societies. Now, under capitalism, the commodification of women’s bodies is inevitable since everything is turned into a marketable product. Prostitution is a brutal expression of economic coercion. The legalisation of prostitution will reinforce the idea of women being objects for male consumption.
It has been proven that poverty is a key factor that forces women into prostitution, as it is often the only option available to those facing financial difficulties. Migration is a consequence of imperialist exploitation, where countries like Britain or the United States benefit from the labour and resources of other nations. A 2024 all-party parliamentary group on poverty report states that although migrant women move to escape poverty, they often end up in low-paying, insecure jobs with poor conditions, making them more susceptible to exploitation and abuse. They also face difficulties in accessing essential services such as education, healthcare and legal support. Additionally, they are more likely to experience gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and social isolation.
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Attempts to redefine prostitution as ‘work’ conceal the reality of commercial sexual abuse, writes ROBYN MARTIN
Women need access to meaningful and properly paid work, not coercion into the abusive and dangerous sex industry, write LUBA FEIN and HELEN O’CONNOR
The Communist Party of Britain issues the following public statement on prostitution