LABOUR is considering whether to back legislation banning first-cousin marriage in the United Kingdom, amid fears that weddings are being used to “bypass the system”.
The Ministry of Justice acknowledged serious concerns surrounding cousin unions, confirming it will examine whether a complete ban represents the most effective response.
Shadow health minister Dr Luke Evans is set to introduce a backbench bill in Parliament early next year in a renewed effort to outlaw the practice.
A previous attempt by shadow transport secretary Richard Holden stalled when Sir Keir Starmer’s government blocked his private member’s bill last year.
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Mr Holden has since called on PM Andy Burnham to not be “unwilling” in supporting the upcoming proposals.
While first-cousin unions represent under one per cent of total marriages nationwide, research indicates significantly higher rates within specific communities.
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Data from the Born in Bradford health study suggests that between 35 and 55 per cent of British individuals of Pakistani heritage marry a first cousin.
The same study highlighted distinct developmental and health disparities.
Controlling for socioeconomic factors such as poverty, children born to first cousins in Bradford faced an 11 per cent risk of speech and language issues, compared to seven per cent for children of unrelated parents.
Furthermore, 54 per cent of children of first cousins achieved a “good stage of development” – the government’s baseline assessment for five-year-olds in England – compared to 64 per cent among children of non-relatives.
Mr Holden told GB News: “Given cases like this, it’s quite clear to me that first cousin marriage is now being used as a way to try and bypass the normal immigration system, and it’s pretty clear to me that we need to act more swiftly than that.
“I want to see the Government backing the bill that Dr Evans is bringing forward, just get on board with it.
“This is something that whether you’re a Conservative voter or a Labour voter or a Reform voter or a liberal voter, actually right across the board, people want to see first cousin marriage banned.”
He said Labour was “unwilling to face down certain voices within certain communities”.
Mr Holden added: “The truth is that I’ve had genuinely dozens of messages from people within the British-Pakistani community saying, ‘Richard, please keep going on this campaign. It’s very difficult for us to speak out’.
“But actually they’re telling me that those opinion polls, which show that the majority of British-Pakistanis want to see this banned as well, are true.
“And they’re saying it’s just the Government is unwilling to stand up to certain vested interests within parts of the British-Pakistani community.
“The Government should be on the side of the people, not on the side of some of these so-called community leaders.”
Britain remains an outlier compared to several international peers regarding cousin marriage.
Norway introduced a complete prohibition on cousin marriage in 2024 while Sweden’s ban takes effect this year.
In the United States, 32 states prohibit first-cousin marriage, with eight defining the act as a criminal offence.
An MoJ spokesman said: “We recognise the serious concerns that have been raised around this issue.
“As any responsible government would do, we must look at whether legislation is the best solution to tackle this.”
