Kemi Badenoch has suggested that she might outlaw marriage between cousins if she became prime minister.
As part of a drive to improve social cohesion – which includes a potential ban on burkas and other face coverings – the Conservative leader warned on Sunday the practice, which is common in some British Pakistani communities, is ‘reinforcing separatism’.
Mrs Badenoch said it was part of a Tory Party ‘culture and integration’ review to draw up policies for the next General Election.
‘British culture and British values matter,’ she told Sky News. ‘We need social cohesion and integration.
‘We can’t have people separating into their own communities. And we want to do a huge piece of work that will come up with the best policies that will ensure that we can bring people together.’
While it remains legal for people to marry their first cousin in the UK, the previously rare practice has become increasingly controversial because of its prevalence in some communities.
In a number of inner-city wards in Bradford, almost half of mothers in the Pakistani community are married to first or second cousins.
The practice is linked to serious health issues, including a higher risk of birth defects and genetic conditions such as cystic fibrosis.
Tory MP Richard Holden, who introduced proposals to ban the practice in 2024, said there were good reasons for outlawing it on both health and social-cohesion grounds.
He added: ‘There are real and serious health issues for the children of these marriages. But there are also big issues for society, because it is such a massive barrier to integration outside of family clans.
‘For many decades this was not an issue, because hardly anyone did it. But the increasing prevalence means we do have to deal with it.
‘I am glad to see Kemi taking it on because it shows the emphasis she is placing on the things that bind us together as a country.’
Mrs Badenoch confirmed that the review will also consider issues such as whether to ban the burka and other face coverings, such as the niqab.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp and the Conservative Party’s justice spokesman Nick Timothy are reported to favour a ban.
But Mrs Badenoch said enforcement could further strain overstretched police resources, and suggested she was more concerned about issues such as cousin marriage and sharia courts.
The Tory leader told Times Radio: ‘We have a culture and integration commission that is going to look at a whole raft of things.
‘Some people want to talk about banning the burka. I’ve seen that done in France. I’m sceptical about whether it can work. I’m more concerned about practices like cousin marriage which are reinforcing separatism. But we will look at all that.
‘We need to make sure that whatever we do is deliverable.
‘I’m concerned we don’t have enough police officers. Adding things to their plate without increasing their number is not a proper plan.’
She said she wanted to focus on broader integration, adding: ‘It’s how you treat women. It’s how you raise your children. There is so much we need to look at.’
Last month, the Daily Mail told how Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust was looking for a £44,962-a-year Urdu-speaking nurse to help cousins having children together, with similar positions advertised in Slough, Bradford and Bedfordshire.
The NHS has said concerns about the risks of congenital diseases are ‘unwarranted’ as ’85 to 90 per cent… do not have affected children’.
