by Tony Rucinski, Coalition for Marriage
A recent column in The Times (£) delivered a rare moment of common sense on marriage in the mainstream media. Reminding readers that marriage is good for couples and children and has “profound public consequences”, the article’s call for urgent reform included some important points.
Crucially, it called on the Government to make marriage more financially appealing by updating the decade-old marriage tax allowance and considering family-friendly tax incentives like those in France and Hungary. These are moves C4M has consistently backed.
The piece also suggested the appointment of a “marriage tsar” to champion the benefits of marriage and help reverse decades of decline.
These steps would be a welcome start, but only if they promote real marriage: one man, one woman, for life. UK research consistently shows that married biological parents provide by far the most stable home for children.