Mrs Warren's Profession

I went to see a great show on Saturday night at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Mrs Warren's Profession. It's one of George Bernard Shaw's earliest plays. Because of it's subject matter (prostitution, though its really a critique of middle class morality ) it caused quite a scandal when it was first published and performed.
We may be more open to performances in plays, films, literature about sex, the debate about prostitution continues to cause anguish in our middle class hearts and souls, none more so than the discussions over tolerance zones.
I have to say that it took me a long time to think this through myself.
I don't condone prostitution, I would not want it legalised and I am unconvinced by those who say "its my choice", but I have come to the conclusion that, especially given the levels of trafficking in women, we need to find ways of regulating its practice even if we don't like it's existence. That is why the legislation going through parliament must focus first on the men who solicit and those who pimp and then on giving local authorities the chance to run things like tolerance zones.
Its not easy but driving the sex industry further underground will not protect the women and will mean that we will be even less likely to be able to have the rational debate Shaw tried to have when he wrote his play some hundred plus years ago.