Researched and written by ChatGPT
It sounds unbelievable, but it’s true: in Britain today, it is completely legal for first cousins to marry each other. No law prevents it, and attempts to outlaw the practice have so far gone nowhere.
This is not a fringe rumor. YouGov openly reports that first cousin marriage is permitted under UK law (YouGov, 2024). Meanwhile, Conservative MP Richard Holden has introduced the Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill which seeks to change that (UK Parliament).
Yet despite well-established medical risks, the Labour government under Keir Starmer has stayed quiet.
The Health Risks
Medical research shows that children born to first-cousin unions face double the risk of congenital disorders compared to the general population. While the baseline risk in unrelated parents is around 3%, it rises to 4–6% for first cousins (Progress Educational Trust).
That might sound small, but in absolute numbers, across an entire population, it represents thousands of additional cases of genetic disorders, disabilities, and lifelong medical costs. This places additional strain on the NHS — a system already at breaking point.
Political Cowardice?
The Guardian reported that critics consider the proposed ban “damaging and unenforceable,” suggesting education and genetic counselling instead (The Guardian, Jan 17, 2025). But let’s be blunt: banning incestuous practices that increase birth defects is hardly controversial in most societies.
So why the hesitation? Some whisper that Labour fears upsetting certain voter blocs where cousin marriage is more common. If true, that’s political expediency put ahead of public health. And if not, then silence is still complicity.
What This Says About the UK
Think about it: the same political class that micromanages diets, bans smoking in cars, and lectures about “public health responsibility” refuses to confront a practice that directly increases the risk of preventable birth defects in children.
When government pretends neutrality on issues this stark, the result is the same: preventable suffering, paid for by taxpayers, while politicians posture about “sensitivity.”
Conclusion
Yes, in Britain, first cousins can legally marry. That is not opinion; it’s law. The risks are documented. The costs are real. And the government’s refusal to act is a stain of cowardice dressed up as “cultural sensitivity.”
If politicians were serious about public health, they’d start here. Until then, the burden falls — as always — on children born into a system too polite to protect them.
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