Government Condones Polygamy

One aspect of our Judeo-Christian heritage that has contributed to legal principles in this country is that there should be one law for both alien and native alike. This differs from Islam, in which there is one law for men and another for women, one law for Muslims and another for non-Muslims.

Why, then, is today's Telegraph Spy reporting that the Department for Work and Pensions recognises polygamous marriages that were conducted overseas?!

In this country, bigamy is a criminal offence under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, subject to a penalty of up to seven years penal servitude, whereas under Islamic law a man is allowed to have up to four wives. Yet, the DWP's document RR2 - A guide to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit states:

If you are legally married to more than one partner
This is called a polygamous marriage. In this case you get a special personal allowance. It is made up of two parts:

• a couple’s allowance (determined by the age of whoever is the oldest of you and your partners)
• and additional allowances for each additional partner.

Other allowances and premiums are added to the personal allowance if they apply.

So, you and I can be locked up for taking a second wife (as if one were not enough!), but our taxes go to support the multiple wives of foreigners who come to our country. Presumably there are also (or soon will be) implications for things such as pension rights and exemption from death duties?  Once the state recognises these, surely it is only a matter of time before "legislative creep" forces a change in the law upon us. After all, seven years ago there was talk of Muslims in Britain challenging UK law on the basis that Britain's ban on polygamous marriage violates their human rights and the Muslim Parliament of Britain maintains that hundreds of families are being forced to live outside the law.

So much for our Christian heritage – This, I suppose, will prove to be Blair's true legacy...