Mugged by Multiple Missus

As a Strood councillor I am having to take very tough decisions on the support that we are able to give our frail, elderly and disabled because of the substantial lack of grant resources coming from this government, therefore I cannot believe what I’ve just read in the Telegraph about what this government has gone and landed us with now.

They have apparently agreed to formally recognise polygamous marriages, so long as the weddings took place in countries where the arrangement is legal, such as for Muslim Men with more than one wife even though here in Britain polygamy is illegal and punishable by up to seven years in prison.

Ministers apparently estimate that there are up to a thousand polygamous partnerships existing in Britain, although surprise, surprise, there is no apparent exact record.

It would seem that there are new guidelines on income support from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) which state: "Where there is a valid polygamous marriage the claimant and one spouse will be paid the couple rate ... The amount payable for each additional spouse is presently £33.65."

Whatever is this mob playing at, offering preferential treatment, indeed positive discrimination to a particular group. Setting a precedent such as this will be the thin edge of the wedge and lead to demands for further changes in British law. Racism, they are causing it!

Not only that but all of the wives Income support may be paid directly into the husband's bank account! And there’s more… under the deal agreed by ministers, a husband with multiple wives may also be eligible for additional housing benefit and council tax benefit to reflect the larger property needed for his family. Islamic law permits men to have a harem (up to four wives at any one time) provided the husband spends equal amounts of time and money on each of them.

Barring the fact that this ruling could cost taxpayers millions of pounds, you tell me what sort of message this sends out to hard working people struggling to keep their heads above water in a country that is taxing the life blood out of us all and telling hard pressed councils that they can’t afford to give them the amounts needed to provide vital services, Or the OAPs, struggling to pay their council tax.

On top of that what sort of racial tensions will this cause others in Britain whose skins and cultures do not automatically suggest that they are of UK origin. I have friends and acquaintances of all different faiths and cultures, they will be horrified.

A review launched by Ministers into benefit rules for polygamous marriages was apparently carried out in November 2006 after it emerged that some families had benefited financially. The review ended in December last year with agreement that the extra benefits should continue to be paid, the Government admitted yet the decision was not publicly announced; I wonder why!!

It would seem that four government departments - the Treasury, the DWP, HM Revenue and Customs, and the Home Office - were involved in the review, which in conclusion reported that recognising multiple marriages conducted overseas was "the best possible" option. Best possible, for who?

Apparently a Department for Work & Pensions spokesman claimed that the number of people in polygamous marriages entering Britain had fallen since the 1988 Immigration Act, which "generally prevents a man from bringing a second or subsequent wife with him to this country if another woman is already living as his wife in the UK".

It would appear that while a married man cannot obtain a spouse visa to bring a second wife into Britain, some multiple partners may be able to enter the country via other legal routes such as tourist visas, student visas or work permits.

Additionally, a potential loophole by which a man can divorce his wife under British law while continuing to live with her as his spouse under Islamic law, and obtain a spouse visa for a foreign woman who he can legally marry has been identified by officials.

An immigration rulebook advises that "Entry clearance may not be withheld from a second wife where the husband has divorced his previous wife and the divorce is thought to be one of convenience," it’s advice continues "This is so, even if the husband is still living with the previous wife and to issue the entry clearance would lead to the formation of a polygamous household."

Conservative Chris Grayling, the shadow work and pensions secretary, has said that the decision was "completely unjustifiable" and I absolutely agree with his sentiments that "You are not allowed to have multiple marriages in the UK, so to have a situation where the benefits system is treating people in different ways is totally unacceptable and will serve to undermine confidence in the system.”

"This sets a precedent that will lead to more demands for the culture of other countries to be reflected in UK law and the benefits system."
Mr Grayling also accused the Government of trying to keep the ruling quiet because the topic is so controversial!!