Cllr Sarah Field's glorious speech to Leeds Full Council Meeting debate on the Managed Approach on 11th November 2020

[AreYouBernard]

Cllr Field can always be relied on to speak truth to power about the damage that prostitution causes.

The Labour Council presses on with the Managed Approach, despite a very active resistance from local residents, the staff and students of schools within the Managed Approach impact area, politicians from the Opposition parties in Leeds, and local feminists The Leeds ReSisters and Leeds Spinners.

Here's a 3 minute video of Cllr Field's most recent speech against the Managed Approach, to the Full Council Meeting on 11th November 2020.

The Meeting were debating a White Paper brought by local Conservative Councillor Amanda Carter.

The entire debate is documented here:

Thread to discuss it: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4089796-Leeds-Council-double-down-on-the-Managed-Approach-to-on-street-prostitution-in-Holbeck-at-Full-Council-Meeting-on-11th-November-2020?msgid=102076190

Bravo Sarah Fields as always.

One is left wondering, having heard and rejected all of this resistance, who the actual fuck Leeds Council thinks they're representing. And whose interests they are serving. And why on earth taxpayers are paying them to do it.

#notaxationwithoutrepresentation

I'm seriously starting to think a movement of women withholding taxes is going to become a necessary process.

Cllr Sarah Field's speech in full:

"Thank you Lord Mayor.

Lord Mayor, enough is enough. This administration is hanging onto a policy that has run away from them and they’d rather cling onto this inherently exploitative albatross around the shoulders of this city than admit defeat.

The prostituted women of Holbeck are now barely functioning as human beings. And this council has allowed demand for their bodies to spread like a disease. We are now at a point where the head of the local secondary school has pleaded for the end to the managed approach as he fears it is only a matter of time before a schoolgirl is abducted. It is a child safeguarding emergency.

Barepunting.net

Go on that website. That’s barepunting.net. Have a look at the men on there, who review the women of Holbeck using some of the basest, morally reprehensible language you’ll ever come across.

When there’s no threat of arrest, men not only feel free and cocky and safe. They see paying for sex as a utility like any other, so a lack of consent is just poor customer service.

The opportunity and freedom this council is affording men to buy and abuse women without consequence informs every aspect of their behaviour and moral compass and affects society as a whole.

This council needs to recognise prostitution as violence against women and fund proper exit strategies. This council needs to go after the demand. Instead of free reign for these lowlives at certain hours, we need to ramp up prosecution so they finally face consequences. We need to catch them, out them and shame them.

Apparently we are lighting up the Civic Hall to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Well, I suggest the Labour Group takes that light and shines it over Holbeck instead, if they’re that proud of the managed approach.

Cllr Coupar you’re not dealing with sex work, you are dealing with modern slavery. And shame on every woman in this council, who calls herself a feminist, for supporting this.

We will be supporting the white paper in the name of Cllr Carter.

The Nordic Model NOW."

@MichelleofzeResistance

Bravo Sarah Fields as always.

One is left wondering, having heard and rejected all of this resistance, who the actual fuck Leeds Council thinks they're representing. And whose interests they are serving. And why on earth taxpayers are paying them to do it.

#notaxationwithoutrepresentation

I'm seriously starting to think a movement of women withholding taxes is going to become a necessary process.

Couldn't agree more. The entire debate is available here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4089796-Leeds-Council-double-down-on-the-Managed-Approach-to-on-street-prostitution-in-Holbeck-at-Full-Council-Meeting-on-11th-November-2020?msgid=102076190

It's quite something to see how the Labour Group defend the indefensible. I don't know how they sleep at night.

She's such a brave and wonderfully strong, intelligent woman.

Sarah Field... I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: WHAT a woman!

I am so glad to read that she is well enough again to speak out.

As an American, this brings to mind an old anecdote about Harry Truman (account as related in Wikipedia):

during the 1948 Presidential election campaign. In Bremerton, Washington, Truman delivered a speech attacking the Republicans. During the speech, a supporter yelled out, "Give 'em Hell, Harry!" Truman replied, "I don't give them Hell. I just tell the truth about them, and they think it's Hell.”

Give ‘em Hell, Sarah! Keep shining that light.

“I am so glad to read that she is well enough again to speak out.”

She’s a powerhouse! It’s a long road to recover from everything she has gone through, but her light is undimmed and she is fiercer than ever!

I wish we could clone her, and put her up at the next election, against every single one of these misogynist Labour Councillors.

She's fantastic. Every last person supporting this is vile. Modern slavery and violence against women is exactly right.

Brilliant speech. I agree with every word.

Thank you Sarah.

A brilliant new essay by @belstaffie showing what life is like in Holbeck uncommongroundmedia.com/holbeck-managed-approach-drowning-not-swimming/

Why are the council hanging on to this ? Who is to gain from it continuing? Safeguarding has a hollow ring to it when many of the women being prostituted will have grown up with abuse and exploitation. Sex work is not valid work, though we understand the economic pressures. So crimes have gone up. What a surprise. Name and shame the punters, publicise car numbers . It will be the only thing that takes them off the streets of Leeds. Deeply shocking that the Labour group are colluding with slavery.

It’s quite simple. Judith Blake’s hold on the city is dependent on a handful of votes. She is beholden to a significant minority of Corbynite, woke stasi, sex work positive types for the deciders. They include those who got the WPUK meeting pulled and who support the very vocal TRAs in positions of power in the city. Some of them are high ranking council officers.

The place is a weeping sore, dripping with deals and hard left thuggery. It is the epicentre of misogyny and if they didn’t have such monumentally stupid puppets shipped in to prop up the safe seats there might be a chance to clamber out of it.

Leeds is lost. Without a miracle it truly is lost.

That's a great speech from Sarah Field. Brava!

@Summerdayshaze

It’s quite simple. Judith Blake’s hold on the city is dependent on a handful of votes. She is beholden to a significant minority of Corbynite, woke stasi, sex work positive types for the deciders. They include those who got the WPUK meeting pulled and who support the very vocal TRAs in positions of power in the city. Some of them are high ranking council officers.

The place is a weeping sore, dripping with deals and hard left thuggery. It is the epicentre of misogyny and if they didn’t have such monumentally stupid puppets shipped in to prop up the safe seats there might be a chance to clamber out of it.

Leeds is lost. Without a miracle it truly is lost.

Reading the Unherd piece it all feels a bit hopeless right now. I'm not a Leeds resident but I live near enough by train that I could join in activism and protests but if the actual residents have been beaten and worn down and the local school headmaster warns school girl abduction is a matter of time, then why would we be listened to?

Well, I suggest the Labour Group takes that light and shines it over Holbeck instead, if they’re that proud of the managed approach.

What a great line.

Fantastic speech.

Local feminists are always happy to welcome women who would like to dip their toe in the sea of feminist resistance to the MA! During lockdown it’s a bit harder, but you could try emailing the LeedsSpinners at gmail dot com, or LeedsReSisters at gmail dot com.

@AreYouBernard

Local feminists are always happy to welcome women who would like to dip their toe in the sea of feminist resistance to the MA! During lockdown it’s a bit harder, but you could try emailing the LeedsSpinners at gmail dot com, or LeedsReSisters at gmail dot com.

Thanks. My last reply was a bit 'eyeore' in tone. The outlook does seem bleak for Holbeck right now but giving up won't help either.

I know it’s hard: without the support of the other women in this fight, I couldn’t continue. (flowers) for you

By the way, it occurred to me that some of us might want to send a note of thanks to Cllr Field. She works tirelessly for women. If you did, you can send it c/o Leeds City Council. If you wanted to send an email, her contact details are here: democracy.leeds.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=6668