Ash Regan’s Prostitution Bill Falls Short in Tight Holyrood Vote
A Bill described by the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland as “a vital step toward protecting some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society and addressing the systemic harms associated with prostitution” has been rejected by Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs).
Ash Regan’s Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill—which sought to create a new offence for purchasing sexual services while repealing legacy laws that disproportionately penalised victims—was defeated by 64 votes to 54.
In a recent letter to the First Minister, Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, voiced strong support for the proposed legislation. He argued that criminalising buyers rather than sellers would shift responsibility “onto those who fuel the market for commercial sexual exploitation and away from those – overwhelmingly women and girls – who have endured abuse, violence and coercion throughout their involvement in prostitution.”
Bishop Keenan further noted that a “disproportionate number of those involved [in prostitution] have experienced childhood sexual abuse, time in care, grooming, and other forms of trauma,” emphasising that young people, especially those in or leaving care, remain at heightened risk of exploitation. He also referenced Bishop Brian McGee, whose work on human trafficking and modern slavery through the Santa Marta Group has informed his belief that the Bill reflects the realities reported by trafficking survivors, law‑enforcement agencies and Church organisations worldwide.
The Scottish Government declined to support the Bill, stating that insufficient time remained in the current parliamentary session to properly “develop” the proposals or address what it described as “very significant” concerns.
Ms Regan, however, maintained that any issues with the legislation were not “insurmountable.” In her closing speech, she argued that rejecting the Bill would leave “a stain” on MSPs’ voting records.
Six SNP members ultimately backed the Bill: Stephanie Callaghan, Annabelle Ewing, Kenneth Gibson, Ruth Maguire, Michelle Thomson and Elena Whitham. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes did not participate in the vote.
Below is a breakdown of the vote by party affiliation.
SNP
For
Stephanie Callaghan
Annabelle Ewing
Kenneth Gibson
Ruth Maguire
Michelle Thomson
Elena Whitham
Against
George Adam
Karen Adam
Clare Adamson
Alasdair Allan
Tom Arthur
Colin Beattie
Keith Brown
Siobhian Brown
Willie Coffey
Angela Constance
Graeme Dey
Natalie Don-Innes
Bob Doris
James Dornan
Jackie Dunbar
Jim Fairlie
Joe FitzPatrick
Jenny Gilruth
Mairi Gougeon
Christine Grahame
Neil Gray
Emma Harper
Clare Haughey
Jamie Hepburn
Fiona Hyslop
Bill Kidd
Richard Lochhead
Gordon MacDonald
Fulton MacGregor
Rona Mackay
Ben Macpherson
Gillian Martin
Michael Matheson
Màiri McAllan
Ivan McKee
Paul McLennan
Stuart McMillan
Marie McNair
Jenni Minto
Audrey Nicoll
Angus Robertson
Shona Robison
Emma Roddick
Shirley-Anne Somerville
Collette Stevenson
Kaukab Stewart
Kevin Stewart
Nicola Sturgeon
John Swinney
Maree Todd
David Torrance
Evelyn Tweed
Humza Yousaf
Did not vote
Kate Forbes
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
For
Miles Briggs
Jackson Carlaw
Finlay Carson
Sharon Dowey
Tim Eagle
Russell Findlay
Murdo Fraser
Meghan Gallacher
Maurice Golden
Dr Pam Gosal MBE
Dr Sandesh Gulhane
Jamie Halcro Johnston
Rachael Hamilton
Craig Hoy
Liam Kerr
Stephen Kerr
Douglas Lumsden
Roz McCall
Oliver Mundell
Douglas Ross
Liz Smith
Alexander Stewart
Sue Webber
Tess White
Brian Whittle
Against
Edward Mountain
Did not vote
Alexander Burnett
Annie Wells
Scottish Labour
For
Claire Baker
Neil Bibby
Sarah Boyack
Katy Clark
Rhoda Grant
Mark Griffin
Daniel Johnson
Monica Lennon
Richard Leonard
Michael Marra
Pauline McNeill
Carol Mochan
Paul O’Kane
Alex Rowley
Davy Russell
Anas Sarwar
Martin Whitfield
Did not vote
Jackie Baillie
Pam Duncan-Glancy
Paul Sweeney
Mercedes Villalba
Scottish Green Party
Against
Ariane Burgess
Maggie Chapman
Ross Greer
Patrick Harvie
Gillian Mackay
Mark Ruskell
Lorna Slater
Independent
For
Jeremy Balfour
Foysol Choudhury
Fergus Ewing
John Mason
Ash Regan
Did not vote
Colin Smyth
Scottish Liberal Democrats
Against
Alex Cole-Hamilton
Liam McArthur
Willie Rennie
Did not vote
Jamie Greene
Beatrice Wishart
Reform UK
For
Graham Simpson
