Prostitution Scotland: Former prostitute says 'multiple' MSPs from Scottish Parliament bought her for sex
The woman, who has previously worked as a prostitute in Scotland, says she spoke up after recognising the MSPs on television.
A former prostituted woman says existing MSPs paid her to have sex with them.
The woman spoke up about the claim after recognising the politicians speaking on television. The claim comes as Alba MSP Ash Regan publishes a new Bill to overhaul prostitution law in Scotland.
Ms Regan’s Bill aims to introduce what is known as the Nordic model, which would legalise the selling of sex and criminalise the buying of sex.
However, she said she believed the woman’s claims and said this meant there were men who would be taking part in debating her proposed law who had paid prostitutes for sex.
Ms Regan said: “We know that in Scotland about one man in ten will buy sex. So that would suggest to us that there is a likelihood that there would be MSPs that buy sex, and there would be people in the civil service that buy sex.
“It was confirmed to me today that there are current, serving MSPs - and that is plural, so not just one, but there are multiple - who are sex buyers.
READ MORE: 'We were treated like animals': Woman opens up on life as a prostitute in Edinburgh brothel
“She described seeing them on television.”
Declaring a ‘vested interest’
Ms Regan said the MSPs who had paid prostitutes should declare this when participating in debates on her Bill due to having a “vested interest”.
She said: “I think this is something maybe we need to think about, that people will be voting on this where perhaps they do have a vested interest in it, and it’s a different way to think about this debate, that there could be people in the Parliament who are currently sex buyers.”
Woman opens up on working as prostitute in Edinburgh
During an event to launch the Bill in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday, Ms Regan was joined by Fiona Broadfoot.
Ms Broadfoot, who now runs the Build A Girl organisation to help women exit prostitution, worked in an Edinburgh brothel.
She described being “treated like an animal” and raped multiple times a day after being trafficked at the age of just 15.
When asked how likely it was that MSPs were using prostitutes, Ms Broadfoot said: “Absolutely, 100 per cent.
When asked if they should declare an interest in debates on prostitution, Ms Broadfoot said: “Absolutely - if you don’t want to vote for this and believe in decriminalisation, stand tall and be counted.
“I really hope your daughters never, ever end up in that situation.”
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.