The Marriage Tax Allowance is a Red Herring

I was a guest on the BBC’s Sunday Morning Live yesterday. Pitched against The Daily Mail columnist, Peter Hitchens, & lived to tell the tale. Although our moral compasses are diametrically opposed, I have to admire the fact that he has one. A moral compass that is. Thoroughly enjoyed the sparring. Seems like an affable man underneath all that moral indignation.

The topic we discussed was marriage & whether it provides better outcomes for children. It was spurred largely by the Tory’s ill conceived marriage tax allowance which, in my opinion, is a red herring. It keeps us from talking about the real issues, such as, the fact that poverty is a far greater determinant of children’s outcomes.

The Tory's austerity measures, together with their refusal to rein in energy companies, has driven 2.5m families into fuel poverty, when there are already 3m children living in poverty in the UK. That's the story this sound bite is designed to obfuscate.

You can see Peter & I lock horns on BBC iplayer. It will also be uploaded on my website within the next few days.

* Samira Ahmed is effortlessly personable & inclusive. A veritable mistress of her craft.