Andy Burnham has been told not to be a “coward” and ban first cousin marriage in the UK.
Speaking to GB News, Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden called on the Prime Minister to not be “unwilling” like the previous Labour Government under Sir Keir Starmer.
GB News can exclusively reveal that Labour has finally opened the door to a possible banning of the practice.
The Prime Minister is being asked to send ministers to cross-party talks just weeks after Shadow Health Minister Dr Luke Evans launched a Private Member’s Bill to ban it.
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It follows the revelation that a Sudanese migrant has been allowed to remain in the UK because she is married to her first cousin, who also resides in Britain.
Mr Holden explained on GB News that the practice is “very prevalent in certain communities” in the UK.
He explained: “First cousin marriage is very prevalent in certain communities in the UK, particularly the British Pakistani community and also the Irish Traveller community. And there are real issues with it, particularly when it’s generation to generation to generation, the impact it can have on people’s individual freedom.
“If they’re basically being forced into a wider family marriage, that can be as high in certain communities as 70 per cent, and that is way, way, way above what you would normally expect in the general population where it’s more like one in 1,000.”
Mr Holden stressed that his previous bid to impose a ban was blocked by Labour, but another bill is now being considered.
He said: “In the last Parliament, I put forward a Private Member’s Bill to ban first cousin marriage. The Government blocked it from going forwards, wouldn’t support it under Keir Starmer. Dr Luke Evans, my Conservative colleague, the Shadow Health Minister, has got lucky in the private member’s bill ballot this year.
“So he’s got number five on the ballot this year, which means that he’ll be able to bring that forward to a second reading just in the start of the new year.”
Reacting to the case of a Sudanese migrant being allowed to stay in the UK after marrying her first cousin, Mr Holden said it showed the practice is now “being used as a way to bypass the immigration system”.
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He 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 Luke 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.”
Asked by host Emily Carver why he believes the Government has so far not supported his campaign, Mr Holden declared that the Government are “cowards”.
He said: “I think they’re cowards. I think that they’re unwilling to face down certain voices within certain communities. But 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.
“And actually, the Government, should be on the on the side of the people, not on the side of some of these so-called community leaders.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesman told GB News: “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.”
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