So David Cameron has propelled marriage to the centre of his election campaign, saying that he will announce details of tax breaks for married couples in the manifesto. I wrote a post about this earlier. I repeat what I said then:-
I don’t think this is fair. I am all for “recognising marriage” but surely a tax break is unfair for people like me. This means that although my marriage broke down because my husband had an affair, when he remarries, I will lose the tax break and he and his new wife would keep it. Is it fair to reward couples for simply tying the knot?
Why are the Conservative party so obsessed with the nuclear family and marriage anyway? Is it not patronising to assume that couples cannot make their own mind up about whether staying in the marriage is in their children’s best interests or not? Obviously committed stable relationships are important but surely not simply “marriage” for marriage sake?
I think he has misjudged the general mood of the nation by choosing to over-focus on marriage. Also, given that marriage is about to acquire minority status anyway with only 52% of men and 50% of women being married (OK so where are the other 48% of men hiding?) – the lowest since records began in 1862, it makes almost half of us feel completely inadequate to constantly be reminded that we’re not married.
Do people really want to be given money for getting married anyway? It’s going to cost a lot – up to £5 billion according to one report. Wouldn’t it be better spent on childcare so we can all work more effectively? Or to provide free mediation services where needed, or more nurseries, or more flexible working hours or a greater equality of pay between the sexes or a number of other things that would relieve the pressure on working parents and give them more of a chance to enjoy staying together.
Family is family. That is it. In all it’s glorious shapes and sizes. Some of us might be a little bit broken or dysfunctional as far as the perfect example of family is concerned but we don’t need the state to pay us to get married or stay together. It’s an insult. Pay us to go on holiday instead – then we’d be more inclined to stay together anyway.
March 1st, 2010 at 3:51 pm
I have been a loyal Tory for years, but it is crap like this that makes it so easy to move on. It is a massive insult to be forced to “pay a premium” to live in the same society as the nuclear family. Why? Especially when divorced families have higher costs as they now have two rooves to support; Not that divorced people want tax relief or are asking for it. This stuff is nothing to do with the government. Government’s job is to empty the bins, police the streets and fix the roads. Once they have done that, they should fuck off. The Lefties have destroyed our country as expected. That was never in doubt as they have an unblemished 100% historic track record of doing just that. No one really thought they’d get three terms; Enough time not just to balls it up with a debt binge, but room to destroy our economic foundations for the next generation. The Tories fight back with drivel about family values. Apparently, my family’s efforts in reconstructing our nation are worth less than my nuclear neighbours. It is no surprise that the Tories have a shrinking lead in the polls. Vote Lib Dem.
March 1st, 2010 at 3:57 pm
I completely agree. Lib Dem it is for me too. Lx
March 1st, 2010 at 6:55 pm
I find this all so depressing, as you say it feels as though we are being punished and inadequate.
Just did it again….a long rant on your blog- deleted it! ;0/ xx
March 1st, 2010 at 8:13 pm
I’m with you and London Dad, 100%
Not sure about the Lib Dems. though. I can feel the tax pain already!
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:21 am
They’ll all tax you.; they have no choice. Blame Blair and Brown and ensure that is their legacy. Useless fucking spendthrifts…nothing else.
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:25 pm
The tax break for marrieds is so the co-joined can go on holiday…. It’s such a cheap trick to get the votes in while not telling these same people how they will get this country back on its feet. This next election presents a real opportunity that i fear will just go to waste. Taxation, inevitable from all parties, will hurt but taking away all our services? Watch the tories sell what’s left down the river. I wish I had the answers but I don’t. Your post is spot on, thanks for it x
March 2nd, 2010 at 4:49 pm
I always thought Britain had a nice sensible tax policy in that there was no difference between married and none married folk when it came to taxes. Unlike here in the US where there married people get a tax break if only one person works, but if both people work there is usually a penalty (Take a fairly standard situation where man earns say $80K and woman earns $40K. When single he pays tax at a certain level (for simplicty say 20%), and she with her lower income pays a lower tax (say 10%). After marriage the couple file jointly on an income of $120K and pay the rate for that income, which is a bit lower than the single persons tax for that same income but still more tak than they were paying when they filed seperately (say 18% instead of 22%). So the lower salary, usually the womans, is now subject to higher taxes because it gets lumped in with the mans as one income. This encourages women to stop working.
I hope that is not what the Tory plan would do. The devil is in the details and the only people who are happy are the tax accountants!
March 2nd, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Oh thanks for the information in the US thats interesting Lx