Be liberal over brothels and cannabis, party urges Clegg

Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies urged action by Mr Clegg – who is leading a Government drive scrap unnecessary and outdated legislation.

He wrote in an article for the Liberal Democrat News: "Maybe it's a consequence of our sanctimonious tabloid Press, or an unwillingness here to confront the disproportionate influence of religious extremists, but when it comes to dealing with controversial issues like drugs, prostitution and medically-assisted dying the Dutch are simply more grown-up."

Mr Davies suggested that Mr Clegg's Dutch connections – his mother was born in the Netherlands and he speaks the language fluently – should make him sympathetic to their policy approach.

Mr Davies has long campaigned on such issues, but his intervention now as the party conference season approaches may alarm some traditionalist Tory MPs already unhappy at David Cameron's decision to enter into a coalition with the Lib Dems.

On prostitution, Mr Davies said that it was better to regulate brothels rather than to try to close them down.

"The 'oldest profession' is not going to go away," he said. "Brothels should be made legal, as they are in the Netherlands."

He said ministers should accept that current policies on drugs had failed and that a new approach was needed.

"Dutch policy of permitting the sale of cannabis from authorised outlets has driven a wedge between soft and hard drugs. Consumption of all types in the Netherlands is very much less than in the UK."

Mr Davies said that Dutch law also enabled people suffering unendurably with no hope of recovery to seek medical help to die.