Latest news with #LeedsCouncil
Scotsman
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Euan McColm: Tolerance of prostitution or pretending it is a choice is turning a blind eye to abuse and criminality
Men who pay for sex are conspirators in the destruction of lives. Shouldn't they be considered criminals? Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... When the late Margo MacDonald brought plans for the creation of prostitution 'tolerance zones' to the Scottish Parliament two decades ago, she made a compelling case that it was the compassionate thing to do. Despite the euphemism 'sex work', prostitution is not, for the majority, work. It is a prison. Picture: Djavan Rodriguez This was not, she said, about supporting the sale of sex but about protecting those women who did so. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The majority of MacDonald's fellow MSPs disagreed with her and the idea was abandoned. In those days, prostitution was already tolerated in parts of the country. In Edinburgh, in particular, massage parlours – the Sunday-best name for brothels – operated with impunity. Behind grand New Town facades, fine upstanding men were buying women by the hour. The argument in favour of police and the local authority turning a blind eye to the existence of these establishments was that they provided a safer environment. Better a woman work in a brothel than she walk the streets. This position, well-intentioned though it may have been, misunderstood the reality of prostitution which is that the majority of the women involved do it where and when they are told to by the pimps who control them. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In 2014, Leeds Council and West Yorkshire Police agreed to establish a tolerance zone in the Holbeck area of the city. This would reduce the nuisance to residents while allowing support workers to engage with women in prostitution and help them leave the sex trade. Following public protests, the Holbeck scheme ended in 2020. The bleak reality is that by turning a blind eye to the sale of sex, police were turning a blind eye to trafficking, coercion, abuse, and rape. And, in doing so they made the Holbeck area more dangerous for any woman who passed through. The Scottish Parliament was last week invited to take an intolerant view of the matter of prostitution, specifically of those men who pay women (or their pimps) for sex. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Alba MSP Ash Regan unveiled what she calls the 'Unbuyable Bill', which would criminalise the buying of sex while decriminalising those who sell it. Announcing her proposal, Regan described prostitution as a form of male violence against women. And she claimed a woman formerly in prostitution had told her she'd sold sex to sitting MSPs. This, I find perfectly easy to believe. Regan's Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill would quash historic convictions and create a statutory right to support for those in – and trying to leave – prostitution. The bill seems to me to have compassion for women who sell – or are sold for – sex running through it. Different views are available. A group named Scotland for Decrim, which describes itself as a 'grassroots campaign fighting for the full decriminalisation of sex work in Scotland' says Regan's plans would endanger 'sex workers' by exposing them to more violence, poverty, and exploitation. The group uses the language of far left activists who characterise the complete decriminalisation of prostitution as a matter of liberation, rather than libertarianism. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is certainly true that, for some who are involved in prostitution, their work is inextricably linked to their politics. Some years ago, a politician told me of a committee hearing in which one such activist in prostitution gave evidence. The woman confidently made a number of points but under gentle questioning, repeatedly broke down in tears. Behind the ideological sloganeering, the politician in question saw – and was moved to console – a deeply troubled young woman. I prefer to avoid the comforting euphemism 'sex work'. Prostitution is not, for the majority of those engaged in it, work. It is a prison. It is not work for the women who risk their lives to feed chronic addictions, nor is it work for groomed teenagers, plied with drugs and then rented out by criminal gangs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And it is not work for women trafficked from overseas and forced into lives of perpetual danger and degradation. Although statistics are – for obvious reasons – difficult to obtain, recent government estimates have suggested there are around 15,000 trafficking victims in the UK. Some of those are forced into manual work or crime. Many of the women are pimped out. They are not workers. They are slaves. The myth of the empowered sex worker is enhanced by some pimps who create online profiles for the women they control on which happy photographs, upbeat descriptions of 'preferences', and enthusiastic messages about being 'on tour' are displayed. The customer is absolved of guilt because he's doing business with a strong independent woman. Even when he is not. Regan contests that, rather than being a job like any other as some activists claim, prostitution is commercial sexual exploitation that targets the vulnerable which is 'driven by demand and is enabled by silence'. This is surely not a controversial position, is it? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Those who oppose Regan's stance talk of bodily autonomy. Who has the right to tell anyone what they can and cannot do either with or to their own bodies? This strikes me as a luxury view supportable only by the belief that everyone involved in prostitution chooses that life. We know that is very far from true. The chilling facts about the exploitation of teenage girls have been making headlines for years, now. And those who have read the dreadful details of these cases know of the horrific, life-changing injuries inflicted on some victims by men who paid to rape them. There are countless other cases of women in prostitution being abused and murdered by the men who pay to use them. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Of course, prostitution is eternal but so, too, is almost every deeply harmful thing and we don't shrug our shoulders about those. We don't stop trying to minimise violence simply because violence has always existed. Men who pay for sex are part of a ring. They support, enable, and commit acts of abuse. They are conspirators in the destruction of lives.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wetherspoons given licence for new market town pub
JD Wetherspoon has been granted a licence to open a new pub in a West Yorkshire town. The company bought The San Angelo restaurant in Wetherby in 2022 and subsequently received planning permission to develop the premises. At a Leeds Council licensing hearing on Tuesday, Wetherspoons was told it could serve alcohol until midnight on weekdays and 01:00 BST on weekends. Two letters of objection from nearby residents had been submitted to the council, citing concerns about public nuisance when the site was previously a pub. But representing Wetherspoons at the hearing, Nigel Connor said the new premises, which will be called The Angel after the pub that was once based at the site, would have a family-friendly atmosphere. He said: "Food sales will be crucial to this pub. There is no happy hour, no time-related promotions. "We have policies and procedures to prevent excessive consumption of alcohol." Wetherby councillor Norma Harrington said most local people had no objections to Wetherspoons and suggested it could help "regenerate the town". But she also voiced concerns over rowdy behaviour from people visiting for events at Wetherby Racecourse. Harrington added: "We have large coachloads of predominantly males coming to race meetings. There have been incidents of disruption and public disorder." Wetherspoons said it would put security in place if required. Councillors decided unanimously to grant the application, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Leeds City Council
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Locals fight 24/7 booze licence on Otley Run route
Residents have objected to an off-licence near a popular West Yorkshire pub crawl applying for a 24/7 alcohol licence. It is feared that if a Nisa Local shop in Headingley, close to the notorious Otley Run, is allowed to sell alcohol after midnight it would lead to rowdy student parties and "friction" between families and the area's younger residents. However, the shop said there is "no evidence" which links anti-social drinking to the premises, according to Leeds Council. Nisa was told it would receive a decision within five days, following a hearing at Leeds Civic Hall on 13 May. The Otley Run is a 19-stop pub crawl finishing in the city centre which draws thousands of revellers every weekend, including many students. However, last month a man injured two women with a crossbow along the Headingley drinking route, raising questions about the event's safety. The man, 38-year-old Owen Lawrence, was arrested and taken to hospital but later died from a self-inflicted injury. Eight letters of objection have been received by the council about the Nisa store's application to extend its licencing laws, alongside concerns raised by West Yorkshire Police, ward councillors and public health officials, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The shop has maintained the 24/7 licence would not add to anti-social behaviour on the pub crawl, and a list of proposed conditions, if granted, included a 'check 25' policy, CCTV and staff training. Nonetheless, the council's licensing officer, Susan Duckworth, remains unconvinced: "I'm concerned that if this premises was allowed to sell alcohol after midnight, that would become an emerging problem." Mrs Duckworth also pointed out that more families had been moving to Headingley, with more student accommodation opening up in the city centre, exacerbating her concerns over any increased access to alcohol. Nisa's existing premises licence allows alcohol sales between 05:00 and 00:00. Residents previously told the BBC they hoped the Otley Run might become a "recognised" event to better protect those taking part. Acknowledging the burgeoning popularity of the event, MP for Leeds Central and Headingley Alex Sobel said: "We need to look at the laws we have and tightening them, bringing more control to the Otley Run." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. 99 object to restaurant asking for alcohol licence Shop plans to sell alcohol on pub crawl route Leeds City Council
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Road closures planned for Rob Burrow Marathon
Thousands of runners are expected to take part in the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon on Sunday - the first since the rugby league legend's death. Former Leeds Rhinos star Burrow died last June aged 41 after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2019. The Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon was launched in 2023 to honour his campaign to fund research into MND. Ahead of this year's event, Leeds Council has outlined temporary road closures that will be put in place and deputy council leader Jonathan Pryor said the authority would be "doing everything we can to minimise the impact of these measures". The Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon was set up by Burrow and his family as part of their efforts to support people living with MND. The event also helps raise funds for the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Appeal as well as the MND Association, however, entrants are encouraged to raise money for a charity of their choice. A half marathon is held in tandem with the event. At the inaugural marathon in 2023, rugby league legend Kevin Sinfield pushed Burrow around the course in a specially-adapted wheelchair before carrying him across the finish line. The marathon will start and end at Headingley Stadium. Runners will follow a circular route that initially winds around Woodhouse Moor before striking out for Adel, Lawnswood, Bramhope, Pool in Wharfedale and Otley. The Leeds Half Marathon follows much of the same route. Water and energy stations will be placed along the course for runners needing to recharge, as well as first aid checks and cheer points. The marathon will get under way at 09:00 BST, with competitors in the half marathon setting off at 10:00. From 04:00 on Sunday, part of St Michael's Lane in Headingley will be closed to vehicles, a Leeds Council spokesperson said. Sections of Cardigan Road, Kirkstall Lane and North Lane will be shut from 06:00. By 08:00, roads between Headingley and Far Headingley will also be closed. Further closures will come into force from 08:30 in Adel, Lawnswood and Bramhope. Roads will be closed in Pool in Wharfdale and Otley from 09:00, the spokesperson added. People travelling to and from the Harewood area of Leeds can use diversions along the A61 Harrogate Road and the A61 Scott Hall Road. Diversions are also in place along A65 Kirkstall Road, A65 New Road Side, A65 Leeds Road and A6038 Bradford Road for anyone trying to access Horsforth and Adel from the Meanwood area of Leeds. In Kirkstall, from the A65 Kirkstall road, drivers have access through to the Leeds Inner Ring Road. Leeds City Council said affected roads along the route will be reopened on a rolling basis during the day, as soon as it is safe to do so. Pryor said the council had been "working hard alongside partners at Run For All to ensure that this year's event is another huge success, with traffic planning forming an important element of those preparations". He said: "We will be doing everything we can to minimise the impact of these measures, and thank residents in advance for their patience and understanding." The forecast on Sunday in Leeds is expected to be sunny and warm. Temperatures are expected to peak at 21C (70F) at around 14:00 BST. Siobhan Curtis, from the organisers of the marathon, Jane Tomlinson's Run For All, said it was important for runners to "respect the heat". "Listen to your body, dress appropriately in light colours - consider wearing a hat," she said. "We want to see people cross the finish line together safe and well." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. 'Running first Leeds Marathon without Rob will be hard' Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon to include extra events Thousands to take part in Leeds Marathon Run For All Leeds City Council
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chamber launches ‘Leeds Kindness Project' in effort to foster goodwill
LEEDS, Ala. (Trussville Tribune) — The Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce is launching the 'Leeds Kindness Project' this February in celebration of National Kindness Month. The community-wide initiative will build off of last year's 'Leap of Kindness' campaign and aims to inspire residents, businesses, and organizations to spread goodwill throughout the community. 'Kindness is at the heart of what makes Leeds such a special place,' said Amy Lee, Executive Director of the Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce. 'With the Leeds Kindness Project, we want to empower everyone to make a positive impact by spreading goodwill, not only to individuals but also to our local businesses.' Leeds Council considers pay raises for elected officials The chamber is inviting all residents, businesses, schools, and organizations to participate in random acts of kindness throughout the month or choose a kindness project to complete. The chamber will also host a Kindness in Action Day on Feb. 28 where everyone is encouraged to deliver their kindness projects or perform a random act of kindness and to share photos of their efforts with the chamber whether it's buying lunch for a coworker, writing a positive online review, or supporting a local shop. 'We hope this project fosters an even greater sense of community,' Lee said. 'Whether through small gestures or grand acts, kindness is a ripple that can truly transform lives.' For more information or to get involved, visit or call (205) 699-5001. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
