Richard Holden has introduced his Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill to the Commons. The Shadow Paymaster General notes that only pre-Reformation canon law prohibited first-cousin marriage – and currently “certain diaspora communities” are experiencing high rates of the practice, specifically Irish Travellers and British Pakistani diasporas. Rates have actually increased in last few generations. Most Brits think first cousin marriage is already illegal…
At today’s Lobby briefing Downing Street couldn’t state what its position was on the matter and just said it would set out its position later. MP Iqbal Mohamed, part of Corbyn’s “Independent Alliance,” argues against Holden in the Commons that the state should not ban the practice and it should be approached as a “health awareness issue” because it is a “highly sensitive issue.” Mohamed claims that many people believe it is a good thing to do which “builds family bonds.” Quite something…
UPDATE: At the morning Lobby briefing Downing Street said it would set out its position on cousin marriages “later.” At the afternoon briefing it says it has “no plans to legislate against first cousins marrying.“
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”