Affinities: Labour changes its policy over support for marriage

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Monday, 22, Oct 2007 12:00

Labour's deputy leader has distanced herself from claims that the party now backs tax breaks for marriage.

Speaking in the Commons, leader of the House Harriet Harman said that the government should support all couples and their children.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm071018/debtext/71018-0004.htm

The comments came after chief secretary to the Treasury Andy Burnham had said in a newspaper interview [Daily Telegraph 15/10/07] that there is a "moral case" for marriage, in an apparent reversal of the Labour position.

The party had attacked Conservative plans to reward marriage through the tax and benefits system, with the prime minister even quoting the Bible to make his case, during his Bournemouth conference speech.

During business questions last Thursday, Harman joked that Burnham had assured her "that he is not planning to become the House of Commons marriage guidance counsellor".

However she added that: "The government's position remains this. We recognise that families come in all shapes and sizes.

"We recognise that there is no government policy that can make men and women happy together in their marriage... meanwhile it is the job of government to get on and support families with children and families with older relatives."

When in opposition the Labour spokesman Paul Boateng was saying in 1996:

http://ww.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199596/cmhansrd/vo960424/debtext/60424-37.htm

“At the moment, there is no preparation at all for civil marriage ……. The Government also have to come forward with proposals in relation to preparation for marriage and with proposals that recognise the need for concerted and focused action to support the institution of marriage and the family.”

In 2002 [4th November] Ruth Kelly said in the House of Commons:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/cgi-bin/newhtml_hl?DB=semukparl&STEMMER=en&WORDS=ruth%20kelly%20registration&ALL=&ANY=&PHRASE=%22Registration%22&CATEGORIES=&SIMPLE=&SPEAKER=Ruth%20Kelly&COLOUR=red&STYLE=s&ANCHOR=21104-35_spmin0&URL=/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo021104/debtext/21104-35.htm#21104-35_spmin0

"In our White Paper, [Delivering Vital Change] the Government explained that the registration service is ideally placed to act as a focal point for information about services associated with births, deaths and marriages, such as ........ marriage preparation ...... I believe that there is a genuine opportunity for local authorities to develop those services innovatively to meet the needs of their communities, now and in future. A wider role for the registration service will improve on the current piecemeal approach by local authorities and will be underpinned by the proposed national standards."

Harriet Harman has no need to ask the Conservatives:

“….. we recognise that no Government policy can make men and women happy together in their marriages. If there is such a policy, please tell us what it is and we will adopt it.”

Her colleagues Paul Boateng and Ruth Kelly have spelt out what the Labour policy was.

It seems that Harriet Harman has unilaterally changed Labour policy towards support for marriage without any questions being asked by the Conservatives. Her statement, “We recognise that there is no government policy that can make men and women happy together in their marriage” is at odds with its own policy, which the Labour government has failed to implement.