There is a movement to ban first-cousin marriages in the UK, following the recent bans in Sweden in Norway. 

Most Western countries have, until recently, not bothered to ban the practice because it is vanishingly rare, although most US states ban it. The reasoning is simple: first cousin marriages present similar health risks to incest, dramatically increasing the chances of birth defects and intellectual retardation. And cousin marriages are highly correlated, in certain cultures, with sexual coercion. In the UK, 4% of infant deaths are caused by birth defects stemming from first-cousin marriages—about three times the rate of deaths from substance abuse. 

Despite the obvious health issues associated with the practice, the National Health Service, as a sign of support for the Muslim community, published a report on the benefits of first-cousin marriages. I kid you not. 

The NHS has been urged to apologise for publishing an article extolling the benefits of first-cousin marriage despite the increased risk of birth defects.

The article published last week by the NHS England’s Genomics Education Programme says first-cousin marriage is linked to “stronger extended family support systems and economic advantages”.

But the practice has also been linked to oppression of women and also has a proven increased risk of genetic disease in offspring of first-cousin relationships.

Richard Holden, the Tory MP, told the Mail On Sunday: “Our NHS should stop taking the knee to damaging and oppressive cultural practices.

“The Conservatives want to see an end to cousin marriage as a backdoor to immigration too, but Labour are deaf to these sensible demands.

“Sir Keir Starmer should stop running scared of the misogynistic community controllers and their quislings who appear in the form of cultural relativist-obsessed sociology professors, and ban a practice the overwhelming majority, from every community in Britain, want to see ended for good.”

Yes, you read that right. The NHS admits that first-cousin marriage is terrible for health, but should be praised because it is good for "extended family support and economic advantages." I guess that is why the British Muslim community is so culturally healthy. Can we get a similar explanation for why child marriage is good for the economic viability of the families who sell their daughters to wealthy men? 

This is the last straw. I have seen first hand the catastrophic disabilities caused by first cousin marriage - on one occasion a young girl permanently fed by a nasal-gastric tube and unable even to use a wheelchair - one of two children with birth defects born to the same… https://t.co/L6JZffCjcX

— Linda Duberley (@LindaDuberley) January 12, 2026

Sweden and Norway passed their laws to address the skyrocketing problems associated with the common practice of first-cousin marriages, which, among other things, is often coerced. 

According to a 2021 study, about 55% of British Pakistanis are married to first cousins, while the practice accounts for about 3% of all marriages nationally.

Downing Street said the expert advice on the risks of first-cousin marriage was clear. https://t.co/a7Sze395MF pic.twitter.com/UjKzFxdZcY

— Amrita Bhinder ?? (@amritabhinder) December 30, 2025

There is an effort in Great Britain to ban first-cousin marriages, as Sweden and Norway have, but the law is stalled because Keir Starmer won't budge. The reason is simple: the practice is so common among Muslims that somewhere around 50% of marriages are between first cousins. The practice is so common in South Asia that some countries have as many as 80% of marriages consanguinous. 

Muslim MP Iqbal Mohamed cried in the British Parliament and said that cousin marriage is part of his culture, and that banning it would be ‘Islamophobic.’

Keir Starmer then followed his advice and blocked a ban on cousin marriage to not offend the Muslim community.

He now wants… pic.twitter.com/CP4qUJb8Zz

— Dr. Maalouf ‏ (@realMaalouf) January 11, 2026

Starmer and his government don't want to offend Muslims, so even though they acknowledge the problems associated with the practice, which go beyond health issues, they want to address it with "education," whatever that means. This is a country that lets rapists who have lived in Britain for two decades off from rape charges because they are not culturally educated yet. 

Labour are SUPPORTING cousin marriage.

They know if they don't, they'll lose their seats that they've built off the Muslim vote.

Literally sacrificed Britain's children to Muslim rape gangs for votes.
pic.twitter.com/siTNB1SHJQ

— Tommy Robinson ?? (@TRobinsonNewEra) January 10, 2026

Keir Starmer just blocked a ban on first-cousin marriage to avoid offending the UK’s large immigrant Muslim population, more than half of whom marry their first cousins despite the serious health effects of inbreeding, which compound over generations.pic.twitter.com/28s6bvwnT5

— Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) January 10, 2026

The general consensus among liberals in Britain seems to be that Muslims can do whatever they want. It is culturally insensitive to ask them to behave as Britons do, because that is colonialist or something. 

New polling.

Reform 33%
Labour 19%
Tories 19%

Source - Freshwater Strategies
9-11 January 2026

— Matt Goodwin (@GoodwinMJ) January 12, 2026

Not sure how, given that it is the British Isles that are being colonized, not the other way around.