Could the Tories plan to introduce pre-marital counselling reduce Britains divorce rates?
This week the shadow Families minister, Maria Miller, announced that, under a Conservative government, pre-marital counselling would be offered to all engaged couples, in a bid to cut family break-ups. No one could object to this; it certainly can’t do any harm. Forget the fact that the divorce rate is actually at its lowest in nearly 30 years – there were 12.2 divorces for every thousand married couples, and the rate fell by 7 per cent between 2005 and 2006. Forget the fact that increasingly people are cohabiting so wouldn’t be eligible for pre-marriage counselling. It’s a sort of feel-good wheeze that no doubt is aimed to make the Conservatives appear more touchy-feely. But the truth is that most married couples stay together for the oddest of reasons and despite, in some cases, terrible odds. Often they simply can’t afford to part – and I imagine that these days the financial arguments against divorce will be stronger than ever. Other marriages thrive on diversity. Look at Diana and
