UK Parliamentarian Proposes Prohibition of First-Cousin Marriages

A former Conservative minister has advocated for the prohibition of first-cousin marriage within the UK. Presenting his proposals to Parliament, Richard Holden stated that offspring of first cousins face an elevated risk of birth defects, asserting that such unions ought to be outlawed to safeguard public health. Conversely, independent Member of Parliament Iqbal Mohamed contended that a prohibition would prove ineffectual. He suggested that these concerns could be more effectively tackled by implementing educational initiatives designed to heighten understanding of the associated risks. Downing Street acknowledged the unequivocal nature of expert guidance regarding the hazards of first-cousin marriage but signaled that the government currently had no intentions of altering the existing law. A No 10 spokesman commented, “In terms of legislation, the government has set out its priorities.” Holden presented his proposals utilizing the 10-minute rule process, a parliamentary mechanism enabling a backbench MP to advocate for a new piece of legislation in a speech lasting up to 10 minutes within the Commons. Nevertheless, such proposed bills rarely progress into law without the backing of the government, owing to the restricted parliamentary time allocated for them. Existing legislation forbids marriages involving a sibling, parent, or child, yet does not extend this prohibition to unions between first cousins. Holden noted that while the general occurrence of first-cousin marriage remained low across Western countries, specific diaspora communities, including Irish travellers and British Pakistanis, exhibited “extremely high rates,” ranging from 20% to 40%. The MP for Basildon and Billericay referenced studies indicating that a child born to first cousins faces approximately double the likelihood of inheriting a severe disorder when contrasted with a child of unrelated individuals. Holden additionally contended that this practice endangered the liberty of women. He informed MPs, “Women and girls living under a clan mentality often know the scientific risks of first-cousin marriage, but make considered social and cultural calculations.” He added, “Strict honour codes, where expressions of individuality can be subject to social isolation, violence and even death in some cases, dominate thinking.” He declared that first-cousin marriage was “not really conducive to modern British society,” further stating, “It’s about more than one marriage. It’s about the values and foundations of our society and our democracy.” Speaking in opposition to the proposals, Mohamed affirmed his agreement regarding the health risks linked to first-cousin marriage and the necessity of preventing forced marriages. The MP for Dewsbury and Batley stated, “However, the way to redress this is not to empower the state to ban adults from marrying each other, not least because I don’t think it would be effective or enforceable.” He continued, “Instead, the matter needs to be approached as a health awareness issue and a cultural issue, where women are being forced against their will to undergo marriage.” He further suggested, “Instead of stigmatising those who are in cousin marriages or those inclined to be, a much more positive approach would be to facilitate advanced genetic test screening for prospective married couples… and more generally to run health education programmes targeting those communities where the practice is most common.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.