The GreenLeft party in Amsterdam has a novel idea to help prostitutes who have been affected by the council’s cancellation of 37 brothel licences, reports the Parool.

The party thinks the council should give them subsidies to start up their own businesses and put taxpayers money into ensuring they have good quality accommodation. The council should even come up with a quality benchmark, the party suggests. Labour councillor Karina Schaapman, who has her own history of working in the sex industry, was astonished. ‘Don’t they understand that the idealistic 1970s vision no longer exists? It’s a tasteless idea,’ she told the paper. GroenLinks argues that the time is now right to encourage sex industry workers to go it alone and develop new ways of working. ‘Do they really think women end up as prostitutes after a career advisory course?’ splutters an enraged Schapmaan.