Worcester Council's tight grip

[Victor23]

Councillors are worried about exploitation:

article

Vic

[The Great Smell Of Brute]

'Councillor Richard Udall, speaking during the licensing committee meeting, said: "I've no moral concerns about the industry, it's a legitimate one.

"But I do have concerns about protecting people who work at these places - around the country trafficking exists, compulsion exists, violence exists - I'd hate to think that could happen in Worcester."'


...He says, producing not one shred of evidence to support such claims. Typical local politician trying to make a name for himself by talking out of his arse!

Someone needs to point out to Councillor Udall that the single source of the 'trafficking' meme was a reference to a Scottish Sunday tabloid article in the Bindel report.

[Victor23]

Why not contact him? Here's his

council web page

I'll be interested to see his response to a few polite requests for evidence to back up his claims.

Vic

[Victor23]

I emailed Councillor Udall early this morning and very quickly received this reply from him:

"I honestly can't recall my exact comments. However, I did say that I had no
objection on moral grounds and attacked those members of the council who were
looking to find reasons to object and using other reasons to cover up their
moral objections. I did point out that I was aware of the GMB Union (Sex
Workers Branch), who are mostly active in London. I did say that my only
concern was the protection of those employed within the industry to ensure that
accurate records and details of performers are kept. I sought assurances that
conditions to any future license would be based on protection of employees from
bad employers. I would make that point about any industry. I may have stated
that we need to ensure protection against any threat from trafficking, violence
or compulsion. I do not think I stated that any of these are issues within the
industry I was seeking assurances that adequate conditions to a licence would
need exist to protect workers from such exploitation and to reassure both the
public and performers."


Vic

[The Great Smell Of Brute]

Well, I take back what I said about Cllr Udall talking out of his arse - fair play to him. But it just goes to demonstrate that in these situations, public figures need to be very careful how they phrase their opinions, in case the media either take their comments out of context or misquote them altogether.

[The Great Smell Of Brute]

And a casual thought for members: has the 'trafficking' meme become to radfems what 'weapons of mass destruction' was to Tony Blair?