Harry Benson, Research Director at the Marriage Foundation, told hosts Robert Rinder and Ranvir Singh that a “happy wife, equals happy life,” and that children born to married couples have “odds stacked in their favour.”

He was discussing whether a money incentive would encourage younger couples to get married, at a time where marriage rates are at an all time low.

Benson argued that a married couple provides “the best environment to have children”.

“The reason why societies regulate marriage, and have done throughout history, throughout the world, it to encourage men to invest in their future children,” he said.

“That’s the reason behind marriage. And at the moment, we have a system that actively discriminates against that.”

He added that the low marriage rate is the reason why “50 per cent of babies are born without the dad living in the house.”

He went on to say that the commitment of marriage should be encouraged by the state.