Moving to criminalise punting would make some of practical aspects more difficult.
Could we use this site as it is now, for example? If not how could we get reliable recs? Similarly probably adultwork would be blocked, agency websites would be closed down, etc.
I'm already semi retired as a punter, and for me change of regs would certainly result in me never punting again. Mainly because, I already find organising a punt a faff, but also because I prefer to obey even those laws I disagree with…. if I can do that with a clear conscience.
But… yes… I suspect that when I was much younger and randier, I would have carried on punting.
I've looked into this a bit more, and I can't see how it's workable apart from picking up blokes in brothels and kerb crawlers. The Swedish law is worded:
"a person obtains a casual sexual relation in return for payment, shall be sentenced for purchase of a sexual service to a fine or imprisonment for at most six months."
A good defence lawyer would have a field day with that over an escort booking. After all you're paying for time, especially if you do it in an outcall hotel, and make it clear in your initial discussion to the girl. If you look at the convictions in Sweden, 80% of them are people who confessed when they were picked up. That's because most of the people who buy sex are otherwise law-abiding citizens who panic when sat in front of a copper.
As for the police doing fishing expeditions? Seriously they have better things to do with their time. Yes, they do go fishing for people hospitalised as a result of gang activity, but that's because gangs are involved in serious violent crime. Violent crime is a high priority for them, because they can get to put dangerous people in prison for multi-year GBH sentences. Spending a day mooching round a GUM clinic to give a couple of middle-aged blokes a caution is unlikely to be seen as a good use of time.
Just don't give your real information to the GUM clinic, and tell them you're a swinger. They have pretty similar STI risk profiles to sex workers.
I can see it making finding reliable SPs a bit cheaper, but if people can find illicit substances online (where the penalties are far harsher), I'm sure it can be done easily with sex.
Unless you're caught bang to rights curb crawling or something equally stupid, I can't see how they'll get an easy conviction. Getting a decent lawyer on speed dial is probably a good idea though. Of course, there is still explaining your 24-48 hour disappearance whilst they hold you, if you're unlucky enough to get grabbed...