Election Special:
Family politics
We continue our series of features on election issues by looking at how the main political parties are pledging their support for the family and relationships
With the general election looming, there’s no surprise that all things financial are dominating the debate. As the infamous Clinton-esque phrase has it, ‘It’s the economy, stupid.’ But if we’re honest with ourselves and with our politicians, the imminent election is really about a lot more than pounds, shillings and pence. While the implosion of the Western world’s economic systems has rightly taken up much of our attention in the last couple of years, the environment, social breakdown and international development haven’t gone away. These and other issues need as much attention now as ever.
Cardinal Keith O’Brien, the leader of Catholics in Scotland, recently accused the government of ‘undertaking a systematic and unrelenting attack on family values’. Whether you agree with his critique or not, family values is often a key issue for Christian voters. It’s a loose concept, but for the purposes of this article I’ve focused on a couple of major areas of family policy and tried to pick out the three main parties’ responses to the issues as well as getting some perspective from Christian experts.
We’ll start by looking at marriage. It’s an unusual topic in modern day British politics – being something that Labour and the Conservatives sharply disagree upon. Labour says the tax system shouldn’t encourage marriage, while the Tories argue that it should. The Lib Dems agree with the government that marriage shouldn’t be encouraged by tax breaks.
TAX BREAKS FOR MARRIAGE
Andy Reed is Labour MP for Loughborough, and a committed Christian. He says paying people to be married isn’t wise. ‘As a Christian, I’m personally in favour of marriage, but I don’t think it’s right that we target a very specific group of people with a tax break. About 46% of people are married but there are lots of people who are divorced and widowers who wouldn’t benefit. I think when you start to unpack it [a tax break] doesn’t sound as attractive. Many Christians would love the idea that if we had a tax break, all would be well. I personally prefer people to marry becausethey fall in love, not because there’s the potential of £30 or £300 from the tax man at the end of the financial year.’
The Liberal Democrats generally agree that incentivising marriage isn’t the right way to go. Christian MP Annette Brook says it’s simply not fair. ‘As a Christian and someone who’s just celebrated my ruby wedding, I can’t say that the absence of a marriage tax allowance has made any difference one way or the other. We’re talking about strong, loving relationships which are not going to be held together by money. The reward for marriage is having an enduring relationship and having a wonderful, close family.’
While Labour and the Lib Dems are arguing for the status quo, the Conservatives are looking to reintroduce a marriage incentive into the tax system (something which was abolished by Gordon Brown as Chancellor in 1999). Given that they stand alone on this one, the emphasis must be on the Tories coming up with a coherent policy. Critics would argue they’ve failed to do so thus far.
As early as summer 2007 some Tories were calling for the tax system to support and recognise marriage. At this stage it was the preserve (like so much Tory social policy) of Iain Duncan Smith’s Centre for Social Justice. The former Party leader’s thinktank, which has much Christian input, decided a £20 per week allowance for married couples was the way forward. Since then, both Shadow Chancellor George Osborne and David Cameron himself have clearly indicated their support for the tax system to recognise marriage. A hiccup came earlier this year when Tory top-brass were forced to admit they couldn’t afford a transferable tax allowance. But still, the Conservatives maintain they will support marriage in the tax system in some way.
Christian Conservative MP Andrew Selous told me it’s simply a matter of principle. ‘Children are twice as likely to grow up in poverty if their parents separate. Anything we can do to encourage committed family relationships which are very often found within marriage, has to be a good thing. This is important to making Britain a better more wholesome society and lifting children out of poverty.’
There is evidence which points to the fact that children do better in life if they’re brought up in a home with parents who are married. This isn’t disputed by the Lib Dems and Labour. They simply feel the state shouldn’t favour one kind of relationship over another.
Peter Lynas is a researcher for the Relationships Foundation, which is a Christian-based thinktank. He says the system is currently unfair to married people. ‘Married people cost the government less money as they care for each other, particularly as couples get older. Ultimately, we would like to see the tax system recognise a range of family relationships, not just marriage. We believe you should only receive a tax break if you take responsibility for the welfare of others, thereby saving the State money. Why should you pay tax on money used to support your children, your spouse, or an elderly relative? A family based tax system encourages extended family living rather than penalising particular groups.’
There is a serious question mark over whether there is some special bond created by a couple getting married which strengthens their relationship to the extent that they become better parents. As Christians we would of course argue that marriage is the best form of relationship between a man and woman and that couples should be married before having sex, let alone starting a family. But for those without a faith, does a quick ceremony at the local Register Office really imbue them with special parenting powers they were lacking before tying the knot? It’s sometimes said the reason kids do better in a married home is that parents who are predisposed to marriage tend to be those who invest time, energy and money in their children’s welfare. In this case, even if couples are persuaded to marry by a change to the tax system, they don’t automatically receive that drive to see their children succeed. That seems to be more common among those who choose voluntarily to be married, regardless of the financial cost.
Premier Christian Radio’s political editor Martyn Eden sums up why the parties differ on this issue: ‘The Labour and Liberal Democrat parties oppose the tax breaks because they see them as a pointless bribe that would not persuade anyone who does not want to marry to do so. They also see them as discriminating against cohabiting and same sex couples. The Conservatives want to encourage marriage because married couples are more likely to stay together than cohabiting couples. About 44% of babies are now born to non-married couples and they can suffer disadvantage if they are subsequently left in a lone-parent household.’
But what about someone who works at the sharp end? Heather Howell is a Christian marriage counsellor. She says she has mixed feelings about marriage incentives. ‘I think in general it would be positive – I’m passionate about marriage. However, people mustn’t stay together in all situations. The problem is, legislation wouldn’t allow for individuals who’ve divorced through no fault of their own – a violent partner for instance.’ A related issue is the so-called ‘couple penalty’ which means that many who are in a relationship find it financially beneficial to live apart because of the way benefits are allocated. A recent report from Christian charity CARE claims this situation is becoming more common, and the financial benefits of living apart are increasing. Maria Miller MP is unimpressed. ‘The government talk about their support for families, but the practical reality is that the tax and benefits system we have in place stops couples coming together. It pays couples to live apart! This is a growing issue that’s being recognised by many economists at the moment. I think it’s absolutely unjustifiable. This has all happened under Gordon Brown’s watch and I think the Labour Party should put its hands up and say “we got it wrong”.’
Katherine Hill, head of family life at Care for the Family,argues it’s vital something is done to address the situation. ‘Removing the financial disadvantage for couples staying together will help many realise their aspirations of achieving a stable family life, and help to strengthen communities and society as a whole.’
Labour MP Andy Reed admits there is work to be done in this area: ‘There is an issue, but what I’ve not heard from any organisation is a conclusion which addresses that, which doesn’t then create inequalities elsewhere. The married couples allowance isn’t the way to tackle that.’
Annette Brook for the Lib Dems agrees the current situation needs addressing. ‘There is a disincentive effect and I think it’s something we can look at. I come across the odd example where people are retaining two council houses, when they’re actually together. That is actually an outrage when we have other people who are homeless.’
CHILDREN MATTER
As well as marriage there are, of course, many other issues which fall into the bracket of ‘family’ in politics. But it’s important to address one other in detail – parents’ ability to care for their children. The last 40 years have seen a huge change in the way we care for our children. With more and more women working full time, and long hours demanded of both sexes, it’s a rare family that doesn’t have concerns about the amount of time children and parents share with each other.
First, to deal with a commonly held myth. We Brits don’t work the longest hours in Europe. We work jolly hard, but according to the European Working Conditions Observatory, we’re fairly average. However – and this is a key statistic – we do top another table. An EU report suggests the UK has the highest proportion of the workforce which has to work at weekends and overnight.
Peter Lynas from the Relationships Foundation says lack of time for parents to spend with children is a major problem. ‘More than 2.5 million families are affected by a parent working regularly at weekends. This leaves children unsupervised for long periods. The ramifications of this can already be seen in many areas of the UK where young children spend long periods roaming the streets with their peers. The longer term repercussions may be even more serious as these children struggle to mature into happy well-rounded adults.’ It doesn’t take many years of parenting to see that if you’re in the office at the weekend, or in bed recovering from a late shift, then you’re not spending a great deal of quality time with the children. It’s this realisation that we’re depriving ourselves of even the most slender of windows in which to spend time with the kids which has led to campaigns like Keep Sunday Special.
While on the surface this may seem like a bid from a bygoneage to stop us all having our fun and shopping till we drop, we need to look closer. As Christians, why do we believe God made the Sabbath holy? Yes, it was to rest and to remember his creation of the world. But also it is a day to enjoy being in community with our fellow men and women. The main building block of community as God ordains in the Old Testament is the family. So when we ask for Sunday to be special, it’s not to deprive people of the chance to visit the local mega-mall whenever they like. Instead it’s a bid to allow those who work in shops (as well as numerous other places) to spend some quality time with those they love.
BBC TV presenter Dan Walker made waves recently when he revealed that he has never and doesn’t plan ever to work on a Sunday. His faith is such that he feels it’s wrong to do so. I’d never go so far as to say all Christians need to think the same as him. But he’s a brilliant broadcaster, who’s now at the top of his profession without having compromised his principles.
Of course there are those who have to work on a Sunday. Emergency services are certainly not alone in having to carry on whatever day it is. Indeed there has rarely been a weekend in my working life that I’ve not done a shift, and I’ve worked every Sunday for the past three years. But the point remains that people should have an option not to work – and the more liberal Sunday trading laws become, the fewer people have the choice.
FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS
But this issue is about more than Sunday working. There are growing cries from Christians and others that flexible working hours are vitally important if parents are to have theopportunity to earn a living and also bring their children up as they want to.
A report by the IPPR thinktank called ‘Freedom’s Orphans’ claimed children whose parents work long hours are 1.6 times more likely to engage in anti-social behaviour. This therefore begins to be an issue affecting not just the families themselves, but the wider community.
All three parties say they’re keen to encourage more flexible working, which would allow parents to spend more time at home. But there are concerns from the business community about what limits may be placed on them in the midst of a very fragile economic recovery. This means while politicians are making the right noises about flexible working, none of them really stands out as having a bold alternative to thecurrent situation. ‘The government has not introduced legislation yet because it hopes that a culture of flexibility will gradually develop as firms find ways of meeting parental requests,’ explains Martyn Eden. ‘It is also wary of creating fresh burdens on employers when business confidence is low.’ But this doesn’t mean MPs aren’t aware of the real need for flexible working.
Labour’s Andy Reed says, ‘There needs to be shared time for the family to be together and our agenda has to be much stronger on that to be honest. The Conservatives have fought most attempts to do something about it as being too much of a cost to business. The typical 9-5 week is no longer with us. We’re trying to allow people to have flexibility. Flexible working is good – I try to operate it in my office – but we’ve got to win over the minds of the business sector.’
So the Tories are accused of standing in the way of progress on the issue of flexibility. Not so says Maria Miller: ‘We need to be looking at how we make family life fit into work life. The role of government is to help families achieve that balance. One particular issue is the lack of quality flexible and part-time working for women. We want to take the lead on this and use the public sector to show how it can be achieved. If parents are working, they need to be able to rely on good quality childcare. Great strides have been made, but there’s still instability for families who are trying to make ends meet and work hard.’
The Lib Dems, meanwhile, suggest that the most important time for a child is the first few months. In addition to their pledge to encourage flexible working, Annette Brook MP said they want to extend maternity and paternity leave. ‘We’re all concerned about long hours working. The idea of one parent coming in and the other going out is quite scary. We want to push for parental leave up to 19 months (from birth).’
It would seem that a reduction in the long hours that many people work, and a concerted effort to make hours more suitable to family life would not only benefit those currently in work. It may also help some of those who can’t find employment to get a job. This seems to be a ‘Christian’ response to the situation.
In a recent piece in The Guardian, economist David Spencer argued, ‘The perversity of the present situation is that while many people work very long hours, others languish in unemployment. A readjustment of work time would help to reduce the jobless rate. It would also provide a necessary boost to the quality of work and life for many workers.’
Hopefully this piece has given some food for thought as you head for the polls. But what it has again demonstrated to me is the amazing complexity of governing the 21st century United Kingdom. Whoever we vote for on election day we should be praying for wisdom and guidance for those in Parliament and beyond who have the ability to profoundly affect our lives and those of our families for generations to come.
Listen to Sunday Breakfast with Andy Walton on Premier Radio every Sunday 8-10am. For an archive of his pre-election debates with MPs, log on to premier.org.uk/election
PRAY FOR:
• The MPs mentioned in this article – most of whom are committed Christians.
• Parents and grandparents, as they struggle to give their children the best in life.
• Those who are married and having financial difficulties.
• Wisdom as you decide which candidate is most deserving of your vote on these issues.
• Increasingly creative and imaginative ways to help strengthen marriage and families, without distancing single people, divorcees and widows/widowers.