Leading or reflecting?

This does rather pose the age old question about politics and politicians:

Ministers have been prevented from introducing an outright ban on paying for sex because they found that prostitution was too big a business and commanded too much public support.

Are they supposed to be visionary leaders who, as with the raising of children, do things which we disagree with but which they think will benefit us later?

Or are they simply the hired hands we ask to do the grubby its that need to be done collectively?

I tend very much to the latter view but this particular explanation for the changes being proposed rather confuses me.

Have they decided not to impose their own views because they've realised that most of the public don't want the new laws? That would make me think that they are reflecting public opinion.

Or are they not so imposing because they realise that while they wished they could, they can't? "The People have spoken. The bastards"?