Legislation to ban 1st Cousin Marriage

Aside from whether you think it's a good bill or not, it's a 10 minute rule bill from a member of the opposition, which means it has almost zero chance of becoming law (there have been 4 since 2015 which have) It's actually permission to introduce a bill that is granted during this process anyway, not an actual bill itself.

The government introduce legislation and grant parliamentary time- they are extremely unlikely to do this in very full sessions for something not part of their programme.

These bills are really a chance for an MP to demonstrate they are busy raising issues with a very outside chance they could make an impact on the law. So it doesn't really matter what Labour think of the bill, it's not theirs so is very unlikely to progress.

Thanks for the link. It was for the Pakistani community in Bradford and it was first or second cousins, I see:

Ten years ago researchers studying the health of more than 30,000 people in Bradford found that about 60% of babies in the Pakistani community had parents who were first or second cousins, but a new follow-up study of mothers in three inner-city wards finds the figure has dropped to 46%.

Certainly seems from the article that young people in the area are getting more choice about their marriages, which is great.

@SheilaFentiman

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67422918.amp

Sorry if I missed it, but where was this stat from?

@JamTartLover

"This is really offensive, there are a lot of Muslims who don't marry first cousins or agree with first cousin marriages."

This is correct and the majority of the Pakistani community now do not have first cousin marriages- having fallen from 60% in 2010 to 46% today.

Values and customs or not

This is really offensive, there are a lot of Muslims who don't marry first cousins or agree with first cousin marriages.

@1dayatatime no, I don’t think it was a race based argument. I saw it as a devil’s advocate type argument - that if society wanted to reduce the risks of babies being born with physical/mental issues, maternal (and to a lesser extent paternal) age can also give rise to a greater frequency of such issues.

So if the rationale for banning first cousin marriage/procreation is the risk to the babies that ensue, isn’t there the same rationale for banning (blood) parenthood above a certain age?

And if you are instinctively for the ban of the first and against the ban of the second, that indicates it’s not just the risk to children that is driving your position.

@SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice

"Its a complete joke that the proposed 1st cousin marriage ban is really “to protect the children”"

It is absolutely about trying to reduce the number of serious genetic disorders amongst children caused by first cousin marriages regardless of the background or culture of those doing so. It is barbaric to knowingly dramatically increase the chances of genetic through having a first cousin marriage.

Please tell me that you are not trying to play the race card on this.

I think the difference is that instances of first cousins marriage has declined dramatically in the West over the last 150 years as scientific knowledge of the dangers of first cousin marriage has been improved and Western culture has evolved accordingly.

If you use Social Darwinism terms to describe the increase in maternal age as that is far more dangerous, then has Western culture not “devolved” ?

Its a complete joke that the proposed 1st cousin marriage ban is really “to protect the children”

"Like the Forest of Dean, all of Norfolk, and various islands?"

"Don't forget the British aristocracy."

I think the difference is that instances of first cousins marriage has declined dramatically in the West over the last 150 years as scientific knowledge of the dangers of first cousin marriage has been improved and Western culture has evolved accordingly.

Unfortunately in the UK the cultural practices of certain groups have not (mainly the Pakistani and traveller communities) followed this.

Although the rates of first cousin marriages in the UK Pakistani communities has fallen from 60% ten years ago to 46% today which although unacceptably high is at least heading in the right direction.

Over and over again. Like this is a gotcha. The UK regards 1st cousin relationships as incestuous. Be the cousins aristocrats, Pakistanis or my cats. Just no.

Don't forget the British aristocracy.

That seems to be a consultation document from 2006 (18 years ago) investigating policy options and concluding that the status quo should remain.

I assume the status quo is therefore the quote from @Zonder - but do you have evidence to the contrary?

I did. I went further than your highlight to the bit where it said what I posted above. Maybe you could try going a little further.

Go a little bit further

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a8169a740f0b62305b8ed0e/submission-to-dwp-minister-131206.pdf

When one is making an assertion about what a website says, it’s customary to provide the link to the point one is making.

Funnily enough the quote I just posted is directly from the DWP website @Ludovico

It absolutely IS true. Happy to correct you.

It’s extremely easy to prove it is. Just have a wander over to the DWP website and knock yourself out.

From the DWP

It isn't true.

Happy to help.

"Not only that - a Muslim man can claim benefits for up to 4 wives. So whilst Bigamy is illegal in the U.K. - if the marriage takes place abroad - which is predominantly to cousins - they are allowed to claim for them back in the U.K. under polygamous marriage. This is in the DWP website. "

Please tell me this isn't true!

But surely what you’ve referring to is where this happens over and over again within a family? If 1st cousins have a child together there’s no increased risk of a genetic disorder from that one instance. It’s where the parents of the cousins have intermarried and then the child of the cousins goes on to have a child with a close relative. Just once is fine: I know this because it was an issue I was peripherally involved with years ago, where geneticists were consulted. Plus of course it’s done in animal breeding.

😀😀 genius