Ms Lucas was one of the panel speakers in a rigorous debate calling on party activists to move policy towards a Nordic model of criminalising punters and decriminalising prostitutes.

You mean they want to allow the women (or even the men) to earn a living but prosecute the people who pay their wages (so to speak) ? Didn’t the Greens notice what a mess the government (and especially Jacqui Smith) got into when they proposed this idea?

As a general comment, I’m surprised and rather irked when those proposing radical tweaks in social, education and healthcare policies don’t look first to compare experience in other west European countries.

Famously, the Netherlands has a long-established historic reputation for “liberal” attitudes and tolerance towards diversity but:

“Authorities in Amsterdam have ordered 33 sex clubs in the Dutch city’s famed red light district to close by the end of the year. The clubs, 20% of those operating in Amsterdam, have lost their licences or had an application for one turned down. It follows a police investigation which revealed that a number of sex clubs were involved in illegal activities such as money laundering.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6198264.stm

By way of contrast, there is the situation in Germany, where prostitution is legal and where the government changed the law as recently as 2002 to improve the legal status of prostitutes – and to tax them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Germany

“But panellist Natalie Bennett from London questioned the veracity of Object’s research methods, suggesting that decriminalising the whole industry would protect prostitutes best.

“Once it is decriminalised, like in New Zealand, the safety systems can be put in place by the women themselves to make their work safer,” she argued, adding: “It is about free choice and we are a party of free choice.” ”

Always did think that Natalie (she blogs at Philobiblion) was sound at heart even if she does work for The Guardian.

There’s always been something quasi-religious about the Greens so this is no surprise.

It’s rather depressing that the Greens are contemplating abandoning one of the (relatively few) ways in which they’re far more sensible than the mainstream parties.

Just to clarify, Green Party policy is decided democratically by our members at conference, not by our leadership team. Caroline has simply started a discussion on whether our policy should be amended, that’s all – the policy itself hasn’t changed. If a motion is put to a future conference to amend it I’m sure it will attract very rigorous debate.

its a shame that the greens seem to be becoming puritanical,whats next-homosexuality & abortion to be made illegal?

Sue (post 7) perhaps you ought to expel Caroline before she makes your party a laughing-stock?