Richard Holden’s bill to ban first-cousin marriages met with opposition by independent MP

A former Conservative minister has called for first-cousin marriage to be banned in the UK.

Introducing the proposals in the House of Commons, Richard Holden said the children of first cousins were at greater risk of birth defects and that the practice should be prohibited on the grounds of public health.

However, independent MP Iqbal Mohamed argued a ban would not be “enforceable” and said these issues would be better addressed through education programmes.

Mohamed said: “Forced marriages must be prevented, and the freedom of women must be protected at all times.

“However, the way to redress this is not to empower the state to ban adults from marrying each other. Not least because I don’t think it would be effective or enforceable. Instead, the matter needs to be approached as a health awareness issue and a cultural issue.”

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