Date published: 2008/11/17
The BBC says:
Pre-nuptial agreements would be legally binding and cohabiting couples refused the same rights as those who wed, under plans from a Tory think-thank.
The measures, aimed at strengthening marriage, would also improve access to children for fathers and grandparents.
The interim report is from Iain Duncan Smith's Centre for Social Justice.
The former Tory leader said tackling "dysfunctional, broken family life" was critical if abuse like that suffered by Baby P was to be reduced.
The 17-month-old's death in Haringey, north London, after months of abuse has prompted several inquiries. His mother and two men have been convicted of involvement in his death.
It is unbelievably shameful to take the tragic death of some poor baby as justification for sticking two fingers up at cohabiting couples. The Tories are almost like George Bush and his tax cuts for the rich. No matter what the economic problem, Bush proclaims tax cuts for the rich are the solution. Here, no matter what the social problem, the Tories will claim that marriage is the solution. And if they have to use (abuse) a dead baby to further their goal, then such is life.
As with many such consultancies (that plague the nation), you can get at the real purpose of the so-called Centre for Social Justice by negating its name. So Duncan Smith's proposals are blatantly anti-social justice, since they are treating cohabiting couples as second class citizens. Duncan Smith does not even seem to understand that cohabiting couples currently have no rights. So he's not only proudly saying he's going to continue this inane policy, he's also going to rub peoples' noses in it.Married people already get away with outrageous tax breaks (e.g. on capital gains and inheritance tax). Presumably the Tories intend to give married people even more tax breaks. Hey, why not, married people are obviously outstanding citizens and cohabiting people are obviously scum, according to the Tories. To be fair to the Tories, the Labour government has not been much better on this score (indeed, they have recently made the married person inheritance tax break even more lucrative), but at least Labour does not try to rub peoples' noses in it.
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