Starmer Supports Cousin Marriage, By Richard Miller (Londonistan)

The Jihad Watch article, authored by Robert Spencer, asserts that Keir Starmer has confirmed his support for cousin marriage, framing it as a capitulation to Islamic cultural norms and a betrayal of British values. On March 5, 2025, during Prime Minister's Questions, Conservative MP Richard Holden pressed Starmer to allow his Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill—aiming to ban first-cousin marriage—to proceed to committee stage. Holden highlighted the "significant health issues" for offspring, compounded over generations, and the societal impact on women's rights due to familial power dynamics. Starmer signalled he would block the bill, with Downing Street stating there are "no plans to change the law," a shift from an earlier "under review" position. The article suggests this reflects Starmer's pandering to the Muslim vote, noting cousin marriage's prevalence in Islamic communities—up to 46 percent of Pakistani women in Bradford, per a 2024 study—and its allowance under Sharia (Qur'an 4:23-24).

Spencer ties this to broader Islamisation fears, arguing Starmer prioritises appeasement over public health and national identity. The piece cites a 2011 Jihad Watch post by Nicolai Sennels, linking cousin marriage to lower intelligence, psychiatric issues, and societal costs, especially in Muslim-majority regions like Pakistan (70 percent consanguinity) and the Arab world (45 percent average). It contrasts Starmer's stance with Norway's 2023 ban and Holden's push, framing it as a globalist elite's refusal to confront a harmful practice. Starmer's attendance at a Ramadan iftar on March 4, 2025, where he acknowledged Muslim community struggles, is implied as further evidence of his alignment with Islamic interests over British ones.

Starmer's apparent support—or at least refusal to ban—cousin marriage is a lightning rod, revealing tensions between multiculturalism, public health, and political strategy.

The health argument is compelling but not airtight. Holden's bill rests on medical consensus: first-cousin marriages double the risk of congenital defects (from 3 percent to 6 percent per birth), with a "multiplier effect" in repeated generations. Bradford's Pakistani community, with 46 percent consanguinity, sees higher rates of genetic disorders—think thalassemia, cystic fibrosis—costing the NHS hundreds of millions annually (Jihad Watch, December 12, 2024). Norway banned it in 2023 over similar concerns. Starmer's dismissal of this data, with a vague "expert advice risks are clear", feels flimsy—why not act if the science is settled? It's hard to argue this isn't a dereliction of duty to public welfare, unless he's banking on genetic screening as a fix, as Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed suggested. But that's a costly Band-Aid, not a solution, and it sidesteps prevention.

Second, the cultural angle is where it gets messy. Jihad Watch paints Starmer as a dhimmi, bowing to Islamic pressure—cousin marriage is halal, rooted in tribal traditions, and common where Sharia holds sway. The Muslim Vote group's sway over Labour, demanding Sharia-compliant pensions and Gaza apologies, bolsters this. Starmer's iftar remarks and poppy-less Islamophobia video feed the narrative of pandering. X posts scream it: "More pandering to the Islamic vote". With Labour shedding votes over Gaza, keeping Muslim communities happy makes electoral sense—Bradford's a Labour stronghold. But this assumes Muslims monolithically demand cousin marriage, which oversimplifies. Many British Pakistanis might welcome reform if framed as health-focused, not Islamophobic. Starmer's silence on this nuance suggests cowardice or calculation, not principle.

Politically, it's a blunder. Starmer's "no plans" pivot alienates moderates worried about health and integration—46 percent of Brits back a ban. Labour's already tanking—his popularity collapsed in October 2024 —and this fuels the "globalist elite" charge. Spencer's right that it fits a pattern: Trump's lawfare, Romania's Georgescu ban—elites squash dissent.

In sum, Starmer's stance is a muddle—health risks are real, cultural sensitivity's a factor, but his inaction reeks of vote-chasing over leadership. It's not Islamization's triumph; it's a politician ducking a hard call. The elite control vibe holds—Labour's dodging accountability—but the fix isn't just a ban. It's honest debate, which Starmer's too timid to spark.

https://jihadwatch.org/2025/03/uk-starmer-confirms-his-support-for-cousin-marriage