Labour and the Social Democrats

Sir, – Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik has suggested there are no ideological differences between her party and the Social Democrats; however, this is demonstrably incorrect as far as the evidence is concerned, more so under Ms Bacik’s leadership than her predecessors (“Labour-Social Democrats merger possible with ‘no ideological differences’, says Bacik”, News, January 4th).

In 2017, under Part 4 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, the purchase of sexual services in the Republic of Ireland was criminalised, and sex workers who worked indoors together – usually for safety – were further criminalised, all in a questionable drive to stamp out sex work once and for all. Ms Bacik was a key driver of that law both inside and outside the Oireachtas.

Even now, when the evidence continues to mount that the legal change in 2017 has only caused more harm to sex workers in Ireland and has done nothing to eliminate sex work, Ms Bacik refuses to disavow her staunch support for criminalisation, perhaps ironically, in light of senior Labour Party representatives growing increasingly vocal in support of the decriminalisation, rather than continued criminalisation, of drug use in Ireland. Harm reduction for some, criminalisation for others, it seems.

On the other hand, at its national conference in January 2018, the Social Democrats unanimously passed a motion calling for repeal of the provisions of the 2017 law Ms Bacik so enthusiastically supported, rejection of the client-criminalisation model Ms Bacik supports, and eventual decriminalisaition of sex work in Ireland in line with the recommendations of Amnesty International, the World Health Organisation, UN AIDS, HIV Ireland and others.