Divorce is sometimes the best option for children, the Prime Minister has suggested.
Speaking at a Relationships Alliance event in central London, David Cameron said separation or divorce was the right course of action for some families.
He said:
“Let’s be clear that there are some couples for whom splitting up is the right thing in the circumstances, however difficult the decision.”
Mr Cameron cited domestic violence as an example, saying it was a situation in which “what matters is making sure people are safe, rather than keeping a family together.” The Tory leader also praised the efforts of “inspirational single parents.”
Meanwhile, said the Prime Minister, the government needed to continue its efforts to modernise marriage and tackle “another inequality”, following the legalisation of same sex marriage.
The data required for marriage registers has not changed since beginning of Queen Victoria’s reign, he claimed. Currently the forms require details of a couple’s fathers, but not their mothers.
“This clearly doesn’t reflect modern Britain – and it’s high time the system was updated. So I have asked the Home Office to look at how we can address this too.”
The Relationships Alliance is a consortium of relationship support organisations, including Relate and Marriage Care. It works to raise awareness of the importance of good quality relationships to health and wellbeing.
The Prime Minister also announced a ‘family test’ for future government policies yesterday.
Currently the forms require details of a couple’s fathers, but not their mothers.