Nick Clegg, the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister (pictured) has attacked Tory plans to introduce tax breaks for 
married couples, accusing ministers of trying to preserve a “1950s model” of family life.
Tax breaks for married couples are a key demand of many Tory MPs and Prime Minister David Cameron has committed to their introduction before the next election. The issue has the potential to become a major source of friction within the Coalition in the New Year.
However Mr Clegg has said that his party did not agree “that the state should use the tax system to encourage a particular family form.”
In a speech to Demos, the Left-leaning think tank, Mr Clegg said: “We should not take a particular version of the family institution, such as the 1950s model of suit-wearing, breadwinning dad and aproned, homemaking mother, and try and preserve it in aspic.
And in remarks on the Murnaghan programme on Sky News onn Saturday, Mr Clegg said: “I think there are limits to how the state and government should try to micromanage or incentivise people’s own behaviour in their private lives.”
A number of Tory MPs have met with David Gauke, the Treasury minister, to press the government to introduce the tax break for married couples as soon as possible. It means Mr Clegg is now in open disagreement with the senior Coalition partner on two major areas of policy — the marriage tax break and Europe.
Mr Clegg’s words clash with a speech given by the Prime Minister shortly before last year’s general election, when Mr Cameron said: “As a society, saying that marriage is a good thing and celebrating it and encouraging it, including through the tax system, is something that most societies do in Europe. It’s very sensible for us to do as well.”
It is understood that ministers are looking to introduce gradually a transferable tax allowance for married couples later in the parliament, with the scheme initially made available to husbands and wives with young children. To introduce such an allowance worth £1,000 a year for all married couples would cost the Government about £3.2 billion — a price felt too high while Britain’s public finances are struggling with debt.
The Coalition agreement pledged that a transferable allowance for married couples would be introduced but did not give details or a timetable.
Research has suggested that children brought up by two married parents living together are happier, fare better at school and are less likely to become heavily involved in alcohol, crime or drugs.
The Centre for Social Justice [CSJ], a think tank set up by Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said that just one in 11 married couples separated before their child’s fifth birthday, compared with a third of unmarried couples.
Gavin Poole, its executive director, said: “Nick Clegg’s stance flies in the face of all the evidence, completely ignoring national and international data demonstrating how important marriage is to the health and wellbeing of children and families.”
A YouGov poll commissioned by the think tank two months ago found that two thirds of people favoured an extra tax allowance for married couples.
David Burrowes, the Conservative MP for Enfield Southgate, who sits on the Cornerstone Group of Tory MPs who campaign for traditional values, criticised the tone of Mr Clegg’s speech.
“It is wrong to pigeonhole marriage in such dated terms,” Mr Burrows said. “Marriage is a good institution for people across all social classes. It is important that it is given support through the tax system.
“We want to see a system that in particular supports those from the poorest backgrounds who get married — this is a very important social justice argument.”
Meanwhile in a speech last Friday Mr Cameron stated that Britain is a Christian country.
He said: “We’ve got to stand up for our values if we are to confront the slow-motion moral collapse that has taken place in parts of our country these past few generations.”
He said Britain is a “Christian country” and “we should not be afraid to say so”, as he marked 400 years of the King James Bible.
The Prime Minister said the Bible has helped to give Britain values and morals which “we should actively stand up and defend”.
And he also criticised the idea of “moral neutrality”, saying: “You can’t fight something with nothing”. The Prime Minister made the comments at Christ Church in Oxford.
He described himself as a “committed – but I have to say vaguely practising – Church of England Christian, who will stand up for the values and principles of my faith”.
But he said that “the Bible has helped to give Britain a set of values and morals which make Britain what it is today”.
He continued: “Values and morals we should actively stand up and defend. The alternative of moral neutrality should not be an option.You can’t fight something with nothing.
“Because if we don’t stand for something, we can’t stand against anything.”
Nick Clegg has attacked Tory plans to introduce tax breaks for married couples, accusing ministers of trying to preserve a “1950s model” of family life.
Tax breaks for married couples are a key demand of many Tory MPs and Mr Cameron has committed to their introduction before the next election. The issue has the potential to become a major source of friction within the Coalition in the New Year.
“That’s why Open Society Liberals and Big Society Conservatives will take a different view on a tax break for marriage. We can all agree that strong relationships between parents are important, but not agree that the state should use the tax system to encourage a particular family form.”
However in a speech to Demos, the Left-leaning think tank, Mr Clegg said: “We should not take a particular version of the family institution, such as the 1950s model of suit-wearing, breadwinning dad and aproned, homemaking mother, and try and preserve it in aspic.
And in remarks on the Murnaghan programme on Sky News onn Saturday, Mr Clegg said: “I think there are limits to how the state and government should try to micromanage or incentivise people’s own behaviour in their private lives.”
A number of Tory MPs have met with David Gauke, the Treasury minister, to press the government to introduce the tax break for married couples as soon as possible. It means Mr Clegg is now in open disagreement with the senior Coalition partner on two major areas of policy — the marriage tax break and Europe.
Mr Clegg’s words clash with a speech given by the Prime Minister shortly before last year’s general election, when Mr Cameron said: “As a society, saying that marriage is a good thing and celebrating it and encouraging it, including through the tax system, is something that most societies do in Europe. It’s very sensible for us to do as well.”
It is understood that ministers are looking to introduce gradually a transferable tax allowance for married couples later in the parliament, with the scheme initially made available to husbands and wives with young children. To introduce such an allowance worth £1,000 a year for all married couples would cost the Government about £3.2 billion — a price felt too high while Britain’s public finances are struggling with debt.
The Coalition agreement pledged that a transferable allowance for married couples would be introduced but did not give details or a timetable.
Research has suggested that children brought up by two married parents living together are happier, fare better at school and are less likely to become heavily involved in alcohol, crime or drugs.
The Centre for Social Justice [CSJ], a think tank set up by Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said that just one in 11 married couples separated before their child’s fifth birthday, compared with a third of unmarried couples.
Gavin Poole, its executive director, said: “Nick Clegg’s stance flies in the face of all the evidence, completely ignoring national and international data demonstrating how important marriage is to the health and wellbeing of children and families.”
A YouGov poll commissioned by the think tank two months ago found that two thirds of people favoured an extra tax allowance for married couples.
David Burrowes, the Conservative MP for Enfield Southgate, who sits on the Cornerstone Group of Tory MPs who campaign for traditional values, criticised the tone of Mr Clegg’s speech.
“It is wrong to pigeonhole marriage in such dated terms,” Mr Burrows said. “Marriage is a good institution for people across all social classes. It is important that it is given support through the tax system.
“We want to see a system that in particular supports those from the poorest backgrounds who get married — this is a very important social justice argument.”
Meanwhile in a speech last Friday Mr Cameron stated that Britain is a Christian country.
He said: “We’ve got to stand up for our values if we are to confront the slow-motion moral collapse that has taken place in parts of our country these past few generations.”
He said Britain is a “Christian country” and “we should not be afraid to say so”, as he marked 400 years of the King James Bible.
The Prime Minister said the Bible has helped to give Britain values and morals which “we should actively stand up and defend”.
And he also criticised the idea of “moral neutrality”, saying: “You can’t fight something with nothing”. The Prime Minister made the comments at Christ Church in Oxford.
He described himself as a “committed – but I have to say vaguely practising – Church of England Christian, who will stand up for the values and principles of my faith”.
But he said that “the Bible has helped to give Britain a set of values and morals which make Britain what it is today”.
He continued: “Values and morals we should actively stand up and defend. The alternative of moral neutrality should not be an option.You can’t fight something with nothing.
“Because if we don’t stand for something, we can’t stand against anything.”