Cohabiting partners should not have the same rights as married couples, according to a leading family campaigner.

Harry Benson of the UK’s Marriage Foundation was giving evidence to the Women and Equalities Committee in Westminster last week.

He noted the problems that arise from cohabiting partners not having the same sorts of rights and protections as equivalent married couples following either break-up or death, and acknowledged the tremendous injustices where, for example, a woman sacrifices her career to bring up children only to be left penniless when her partner walks out with all the money that he says is his.

While sympathising greatly with those situations, Benson told the committee that automatically providing marriage-like rights to cohabiting couples, risks undermining commitment and creating ever more family breakdown that affects couples and children, precisely the problem he says everyone is trying to avoid.