MP calls for first-cousin marriage to be banned

A Conservative erstwhile curate has called for first-cousin matrimony to beryllium banned successful the UK.

Introducing the proposals successful Parliament, Richard Holden said the children of archetypal cousins were astatine greater hazard of commencement defects and the signifier should beryllium prohibited to support nationalist health.

However, autarkic MP Iqbal Mohamed argued a prohibition would beryllium ineffective and said these issues would beryllium amended addressed done acquisition programmes to rise consciousness of the risks.

Last month, the authorities said it wanted to instrumentality clip to "properly see our matrimony law" earlier mounting retired a nationalist presumption connected the issue.

Holden introduced his proposals utilizing the 10-minute regularisation process, which allows a backbench MP to marque the lawsuit for a caller measure successful a code of up to 10 minutes successful the Commons.

However, specified bills are improbable to go instrumentality without authorities enactment due to the fact that of the constricted parliamentary clip disposable for them.

Under existent legislation, marriages to a sibling, genitor oregon kid are prohibited but not betwixt archetypal cousins.

Holden said that portion the wide prevalence of first-cousin matrimony was debased successful Western countries, definite diaspora communities, specified arsenic Irish travellers and British Pakistanis, had "extremely precocious rates" of 20-40%.

The MP for Basildon and Billericay cited probe suggesting the kid of archetypal cousins carries astir treble the hazard of inheriting a superior upset compared to the kid oregon unrelated people.

Holden besides argued the signifier threatened women's freedom.

"Women and girls surviving nether a clan mentality often cognize the technological risks of first-cousin marriage, but marque considered societal and taste calculations," helium told MPs.

"Strict honour codes, wherever expressions of individuality tin beryllium taxable to societal isolation, unit and adjacent decease successful immoderate cases, predominate thinking."

He said first-cousin matrimony was "not truly conducive to modern British society", adding: "It's astir much than 1 marriage. It's astir the values and foundations of our nine and our democracy."

Speaking against the proposals, Mohamed said helium agreed determination were wellness risks associated with first-cousin matrimony and that forced matrimony indispensable beryllium prevented.

"However, the mode to redress this is not to empower the authorities to prohibition adults from marrying each other, not slightest due to the fact that I don't deliberation it would beryllium effectual oregon enforceable," the MP for Dewsbury and Batley said.

"Instead, the substance needs to beryllium approached arsenic a wellness consciousness contented and a taste issue, wherever women are being forced against their volition to acquisition marriage."

He added: "Instead of stigmatising those who are successful relative marriages oregon those inclined to be, a overmuch much affirmative attack would beryllium to facilitate precocious familial trial screening for prospective joined couples... and much mostly to tally wellness acquisition programs targeting those communities wherever the signifier is astir common."