Sir, Iain Duncan Smith and the Social Justice Policy Group have drawn a false conclusion (report, July 11). The empirical evidence certainly appears to show that children of married parents do better on average than children of unmarried parents. However, it is not the fact that their parents are married that gives children of married parents better lives – it is more likely to be the fact that their parents are the type of people who wanted to get married in the first place.
What is important is not that your parents are married, more that they are the type of people who want to provide a stable, loving environment for your upbringing.
DAVID HUNT, Bristol
Sir, I was horrified to hear the Conservatives’ policy proposals to give married couples, regardless of need, additional tax allowances. How dare they seek to misappropriate hard-working taxpayers’ money in this way.
I am a professional woman, who has worked full-time, uninterrupted, since leaving school (paying tax and national insurance), gained an honours LLB by part-time study (paying all the fees and attending tutorials in the evening and weekends) and brought up my 18-year-old son successfully. Why should I fund such a subsidy?
Advertisement
FIONA DENT, Maidenhead, Berks
Sir, Although not a Tory I welcome David Cameron’s proposals on strengthening marriage and the family. For too long “living in sin” has been given equal status to marriage. The results are there for all to see.
As a teacher, I suffer daily from the culture of disrespect that is the legacy of years of social breakdown. Down the centuries no one has come up with a better way than the two-parent family for raising the next generation. I very much doubt if anyone ever will.
THE REV ANDREW MCLUSKEY, Staines
Sir, We are a family that believes in and practises marriage. Currently we have a son, married, no children; and a son-in-law, widower, three school-age children.
Advertisement
Would Conservative policy support the married couple, or the single parent?
D. M. TURNER, Southampton
Sir, Mr Ashton’s friends (letter, July 10) will be able to pay off the cost of their wedding in eight years, seven months and 24 days, from which day they will be receiving a return on their investment.
Alternatively, they could invest the money and at today’s rates, with compound interest, they could spend about £13,400 on their tenth wedding anniversary.
SIMON POWIS, Northampton