Overview
- US State Department undersecretary Sarah Rogers labeled Labour’s refusal to back a ban a “civilisational” concern and shared a PMQs clip of Keir Starmer declining support.
- The Commons did not sit for the scheduled second reading last week, keeping Richard Holden’s bill in limbo roughly 395 days after it was first due to advance.
- Keir Starmer told MPs, “We’ve taken our position on that bill,” and has not allocated government time or whipped Labour MPs to support the measure.
- Health Secretary Wes Streeting has called first-cousin marriages “high risk and unsafe,” though he has not endorsed legislation to outlaw the practice.
- Supporters cite elevated risks of recessive genetic disorders and some MPs such as Neil Coyle back a ban, while critics including Iqbal Mohamed warn of stigmatization and advocate education and genetic counselling.