Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Top Cat Exposes The DWP's Legal Recognition Of Polygamy

Monmouth Tory MP David Davies was astounded to discover recently that the Department for Work and Pensions recognises polygamous marriages that were conducted overseas.
In a guide to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, the department states that claimants in polygamous unions are entitled to "additional allowances for each additional partner".
"Polygamy is both demeaning to women and alien to this country's culture," Davies tells me.
"I find it extraordinary that the state is recognising and giving financial incentives to those marrying more than one woman.
"These payments should cease immediately and I'm tabling a series of parliamentary questions to get to the bottom of the matter.
"Foreigners who come to Britain should be prepared to fit in with British cultural attitudes - and they do not include acceptance of polygamy."
He adds: "I shouldn't think that gay civil partners from here who go to a strict Muslim country would be entitled to many privileges, so why should we go out of our way to accommodate those who come here with practices which are alien to us?"
The analogy (gay polygamy?) momentarily escapes me, but it sounds like Mr Davies is on to something.

2 comments:

Man in a Shed said...

Once you give up on Christianity as the basis for your morals, as the Labour party has, there is no logical stopping point. I'm really just surprised that there isn't a campaign for polygamy right now - it won't be long.

Sir-C4' said...

I can imagine such a campaign being fronted by Harret Harman and Tessa Jowel:

"Polygamy is a legitmate and heathly lifestyle choice that shouldn't discriminated againist. Those who disagree will be detained for re-education."