Bill introduced to ban cousin marriage

A Conservative MP has called on Parliament to ban marriage between first cousins.

Richard Holden MP proposed the bill, arguing that the increased risk of children with birth defects born from first cousin marriages constitutes a public health issue. He also argued that the practice can pose a threat to women's freedom, due to concerns that some women are forced or pressured into cousin marriages.

'I have outlined the risks to health, freedom – especially for women – and the cohesion of our society. For me, those risks tip the balance against personal freedoms,' Holden told Parliament. He added 'the legislation is about more than individual marriages; it is about the values and foundations of our society and our democracy.'

Holden highlighted that according to Professor Alison Shaw, professor of social anthropology at Oxford University, children of first cousin marriages carry approximately double the risk of inheriting a serious disorder than children of unrelated people.

Holden said that while incidence of first cousin marriage in Western countries is low, communities such as Irish Travellers and British Pakistanis have higher rates.

However, the proposals have faced opposition. Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed, argued that a ban would be difficult to enforce and said, '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 added, '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.'

The legalisation of marriage between first cousins in the UK dates back to the reign of Henry VIII in the 16th century. The Marriage Act 1949 sets out prohibited degrees of relationships in marriages as being between a sibling, parent or child, and the Sexual Offences Act 2003 criminalises sexual relationships between these relatives. These Acts would require amending if first cousin marriage was to be prohibited.

First cousin marriage has been a topic of controversy internationally. Earlier this year, Tennessee banned marriage between cousins, while Norway imposed a ban on marriage between close relatives in 2023. Sweden and Denmark are also considering action to repress the practice.

Sarah Norcross, director of PET (the Progress Educational Trust), the charity that publishes BioNews, expressed concern about the proposals. 'Parliament should not be considering banning first cousin marriage. Some people argue that there should be a ban because they are worried about the health of the children born from such marriages... However, most children born to first cousins will be healthy,' she told the Express.

Norcross added, 'There are tried and tested ways to reduce the risks of genetic conditions to children of first cousins; the first step is to encourage couples who are first cousins to get medical advice. This might involve premarital carrier testing and genetic counselling. Therefore, there is no need to introduce such a ban on health grounds.'

The government currently has no plans to change the law, according to the BBC.