
Government blocks ban on cousin marriage to avoid tension.
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Conservative MP Richard Holden’s proposed legislation to ban first-cousin marriages has been halted by Britain’s Labour government, sparking controversy amid ongoing concerns about grooming gangs and cultural sensitivities.
Taking to social media platform X, Holden expressed his frustration at Labour’s decision to prevent his 1st Cousin Marriages Bill from advancing to the committee stage, where the details could have been thoroughly examined and debated.
Holden wrote: “The Government today blocked any further consideration of the prohibition of 1st Cousin Marriages Bill.
🚨BREAKING: 55% of the Pakistani community in Britain is married to their first cousin, according to a BBC investigation.
How much is this costing us? 🤢 pic.twitter.com/ZtWHI2u9YJ
— Inevitable West (@Inevitablewest) December 12, 2024
They could have let it progress to committee stage when all the details could be thrashed out but they blocked it Labour will block it progressing on the 25th too and whenever I try and bring it back.
It’s sad because it was a Labour MP, Ann Cryer, who raised this issue 20 years ago and was shouted down then.
People will get off on calling me names but I grew up in the Pennine mill towns and I don’t want to see the children of the kids I grew up amongst going through this for another generation.
Thank you to the brave people who’ve reached out to me who are part of the communities where this is prevalent and who hate to see certain elements of the establishment continue to enable terrible practices for – at best – fear of causing offence or thinking it’s better to sweep issues under the carpet – or worse, because when the chips are down they simply don’t care, see it as a way of harvesting votes from gatekeepers, or have some screwed-up views regarding cultural relativism.”
🚫 The Government today blocked any further consideration of the prohibition of 1st Cousin Marriages Bill 🚫
🚫 They could have let it progress to committee stage when all the details could be thrashed out but they blocked it 🚫
🚫 Labour will block it progressing on the 25th… pic.twitter.com/sex1zZRCJ2
— Richard Holden MP (@RicHolden) January 17, 2025
The practice of cousin marriages, although present in various religious and ethnic communities, is particularly common within Britain’s Muslim population, where it maintains strong cultural and religious roots. However, medical research has demonstrated significant health risks associated with consanguineous marriages, including increased chances of genetic disorders.
Opposition to the bill emerged from various quarters, including an independent Muslim MP who argued against state intervention in marriage choices. The MP defended the practice, suggesting that “The reason the practice is so common is that ordinary people see family inter-marriage overall as something that is very positive, something that helps build family bonds and helps put families on a more secure financial foothold.”
The Labour government’s decision comes at a time when Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure regarding the handling of historical grooming gang investigations, particularly those involving Pakistani perpetrators and white British victims.