Judge calls on politicians to speak on importance of marriage

 Judge calls on politicians to speak on importance of marriage https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/46485

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Sir Paul Coleridge, who was a senior High Court judge in the family division for 14 years, will say on the eve of UK Marriage Week, it has been more than a decade since any senior member of the Government or opposition has taken a positive stand in support of marriage whilst a major new study confirms "the marriage gap" between rich and poor has worsened.

"The old adage of the unrepentant hypocrite 'do as I say not as I do' should be the motto of the senior politicians of this country when it comes to marriage" he said. "They are almost to a man or woman married but there is a deafening silence from them when it comes to talking about its advantages. It is surely time they preached what they almost all practice."

He will urge the country's most senior political figures to promote policies which make sure "the acknowledged benefits of marrying are appreciated by and available to all, regardless of where they are on the income scale ".

Sir Paul will issue his call, as a major new study from Marriage Foundation, reveals the marriage gap, (the rate at which couples tie the knot,) between the richest and poorest has grown and is now between 37 per cent (at best) and 53 per cent (at worst).

"In 2015, we identified and highlighted the reality of the marriage gap for the first time, identifying that among parents with children under five, 87 per cent of those in the highest income quintile were married compared to 24 per cent of those in the lowest income quintile…", the report says

"Now among newborns in 2021, 71 per cent of parents in high-earning families were married compared to 34 per cent in low-earning families. However, among parents 'not classified', marriage rates were even worse, just 18 per cent marry. So, for newborns "The marriage gap" between high and low earners is 37 per cent, and for the very poorest 53 per cent."

While acknowledging that marriage rates have been declining, Sir Paul, who founded Marriage Foundation in 2012 will say that the "real tragedy is the less well-off have been hit the most; the less money you have, the less likely you are to marry. And they are surely the sector who would benefit most from the extra family stability which marriage invariably brings. The odds of staying together if you are married are very significantly better if you marry and not only you but your children are the winners."

"There are some who prophesy that marriage as an institution is finished, so that the marriage gap is irrelevant because of the declining marriage rate. But that is a travesty. As our groundbreaking survey last year showed, marriage remains universally popular, with nine in 10 young people across all of society aspiring to marry, regardless of income or any other factor. Yet when we look at who actually ties the knot, the answer is, predominantly the rich. So, the simple and real tragedy is the less money you have, the less likely you are to marry".

"You might think that senior politicians, almost all of whom are married, would want to make sure the benefits of marrying are unapologetically advocated by them and made available to all, regardless of a couple's bank balance. But what have we heard in the last decade on this appalling state of affairs? A prolonged and deafening silence. This must change."

Marriage Foundation previously surveyed 2,000 18-30-year-olds, to ask them about their attitudes towards marriage, whether they wanted to wed and if they thought they would. While marriage was seen as the gold standard of relationships, with 89 per cent of those surveyed wanting to get married, there was a significant difference in the figures when asked if they thought they would get married, with those on the lowest incomes the least likely to say yes. Their reasonable aspirations have been ignored or stifled.

The new report also sets out some of the barriers and deterrence to marriage. Poor Government policy and the "couple penalty" are major culprits. If you live together, let alone marry, the cost in lost benefits via universal credit can be as much as £8000; a lot of money for most but an enormous sum for the less well off.

The survey also identified the perceived cost of a ceremony as a barrier to young people tying the knot with three in 10 (30 per cent) of those questioned, saying the cost was a major factor in their decision not to get married.

The report warns the: "...trend away from marriage has profound consequences for stability & children's outcomes. Couples who marry before their child is born are more likely to stay together while bringing up their child compared to couples who marry later or not at all. Whereas 76 per cent of couples stay together if they were married before their child was born, 44 per cent stay together if they married later on and 31 per cent if they were never married.

"Couples who split up are then far more likely to experience poverty and need higher levels of state support. For example, 60 per cent of lone parents receive housing benefit compared to just 10 per cent of couple parents.

"Whether through the drop in income, loss of contact with one parent, or psychological impact of parental separation, children living in lone-parent families tend to fare worse on almost any social indicator.

"However, what the simple headline about declining marriage rates conceals is that the trend is far more advanced among lower-income households than higher-income households."

Sir Paul concludes: "Whilst the impact of these statistics is glaringly obvious to anyone who takes the trouble to consider them, we cannot identify a single speech from a major politician in any party on the subject of marriage for over a decade. They have just turned a blind eye to this centrally important area of public policy and failed to stand up for marriage or address these huge and basic inequalities in our society - those with money overwhelmingly still marry, while those struggling on low or fixed incomes are being left behind and deterred. We urge politicians to have the courage to stand up, be counted and rectify this deteriorating situation urgently."

The report, simply titled, The Marriage Gap is available on the think-tank's website and will be updated annually.

Marriage Week UK runs from the 7th February to 14th February. For more information, please visit https://marriage-week.org.uk

Marriage Foundation was founded in 2012 by Sir Paul Coleridge, a High Court judge who was moved by his personal experience in 40 years as a barrister and judge specialising in family law. The think tank seeks to improve public understanding of marriage and to reduce the numbers of people drawn into the family justice system - some 500,000 children and adults each year. It has established itself as a leading voice on marriage issues in the UK.

LINK

Marriage Foundation: https://marriagefoundation.org.uk/