A move to outlaw first-cousin marriages has ignited a stormy debate in the UK Parliament, bringing questions of health, culture, and community practices into the spotlight. The Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill, tabled under the Ten Minute Rule by Conservative MP Richard Holden, seeks to ban such unions on the grounds that they pose serious risks to children born from them.
The proposed ban and its origins
The Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill, tabled under the Ten Minute Rule by Richard Holden, Conservative MP for Basildon and Billericay, aims to prohibit marriages between first cousins on public health grounds. Holden told the Commons that children born of cousin unions face a higher risk of genetic disorders, citing research from the Oxford Journal of Law and Religion.
According to Holden, cousin marriages remain particularly common among diaspora communities such as Irish Travellers and British Pakistanis, where between 20-40 per cent of marriages occur between first cousins.
“Although some reports suggest younger generations are moving away from the practice, the prevalence remains significantly high compared to previous generations,” Holden said.
Globally, about 10 per cent of the population practices cousin marriage, with the highest concentrations in the Middle East, West Asia, North Africa, and South Asia.
Iqbal Mohamed’s opposition
Iqbal Mohamed, an Indian-origin Independent MP from Gujarat, challenged the bill, arguing that outright prohibition could deepen social stigma against minority communities. In remarks that have since gone viral, Mohamed urged Parliament to consider genetic counselling and public health education instead of imposing a blanket ban.
“An estimated 35 per cent to 50 per cent of all sub-Saharan African populations either prefer or accept cousin marriage, and it is extremely common in the Middle East and South Asia,” Mohamed said.
MP lqbal Mohamed wants to make marriage between first cousins possible in the UK. They want to take UK back 1600 years. pic.twitter.com/R1lWUe7Yi4
— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) September 21, 2025
“The reason the practice is so common is that ordinary people see family intermarriage as something that is very positive overall; as something that helps to build family bonds and puts families on a more secure financial foothold,” he argued.
“However, as is well documented, it is not without health risks for the children of those relationships, some of whom will be born out of wedlock,” he added.
Historical and legal context
First-cousin marriage is currently legal in the UK, with prohibitions covering only immediate family relations, such as parents, children, grandparents, and siblings, under the Marriage Act 1949.
The legality of cousin marriage dates back to the 16th century when Henry VIII changed laws after breaking with Rome, enabling him to marry Anne Boleyn’s cousin, Catherine Howard.
While Holden’s bill, formally titled Bill 146 2024-25, passed its first reading in January 2025, its survival remains uncertain. Private members’ bills rarely become law without government backing.
Health concerns: Data from Bradford
The debate has been sharpened by findings from the Born in Bradford study, one of the largest long-term health research projects in the world. Conducted since 2007, it follows more than 13,000 babies, over one in six born to cousin unions, mostly within Bradford’s Pakistani community.
Recent data, featured in a BBC Radio 4 series, suggests that children of cousin marriages face health risks beyond the traditionally understood recessive disorders. While the general population has a 3 percent chance of inheriting a recessive disorder, the risk rises to 6 percent for children of first cousins.
The study also showed that nearly one in three birth defects among Pakistani heritage children in Bradford occurred in babies of first-cousin parents, while developmental challenges such as speech and language delays were also more common, affecting 11 percent of children of first cousins compared to 7 percent in unrelated couples.
International studies support this concern, indicating that even in families with no known genetic disorders, first-cousin marriages add 1.7 percent to 2.8 percent risk of serious birth defects.
Doctors warn these risks could impose significant public health burdens if not addressed.
Women’s rights and forced marriage concerns
Beyond health, Holden stressed women’s rights, warning that some women may be pressured into marrying cousins. “I have outlined the risks to health, freedom, especially for women, and the cohesion of our society. For me, those risks tip the balance against personal freedoms,” he told Parliament.
The women’s rights angle has shaped debates abroad as well. In Norway, cousin marriage was banned in 2024 after lawmakers linked it to forced marriage and honour-related violence. Similarly, Sweden’s Justice Secretary Gunnar Strömmer described cousin marriage bans as a way to free women from “oppressive standards of honour.”
Norwegian police officials have also highlighted cases where women coerced into cousin marriages were financially trapped and faced ostracism if they sought divorce.
Cultural Divide: Integration vs stigmatisation
Advocates of a ban in the UK argue that cousin marriage fosters ethnic segregation, preventing integration in cities like Bradford. Pro-ban campaigners say it reinforces closed cultural networks that hinder cohesion.
However, many argue that bans could push such marriages underground, leading to unregistered or illegal unions and further disempowerment of women, as they may no longer have state protections in abusive relationships.
Mohamed and other opponents warn that legislation could create a perception of targeting minority communities, fuelling resentment rather than encouraging integration.
For now, the UK remains one of the few Western countries where first-cousin marriages are legal, despite mounting medical and social scrutiny. The practice, often defended as “cultural” or “religious tradition,” has been heavily criticised by women’s rights campaigners who argue that it entrenches patriarchal control, coerces young women into unions against their will, and exposes children to preventable genetic disorders.
Others, however, warn that using faith or tradition to legitimise such unions amounts to exploitation under the guise of culture, where family honour takes precedence over the health, freedom, and dignity of individuals.
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