How about prosecuting them? Either polygamy is illegal or it isn’t. To let it go un-prosecuted is to reward it, and to reward it is to guarantee more of it, and bleed an already overtaxed (in so many senses of the word) social welfare system dry. Those who enter into polygamous unions are thumbing their noses in an act of brazen hostility to the rule of British law, and treating it as subordinate to Sharia while prospering from the system their conduct will bankrupt.
In practice, the government is subsidizing families of a size that would not be occurring or be supportable otherwise for one privileged section of society, on the backs of working families who wonder how they will support perhaps one or two children at their own expense.
It is a recipe for disaster on so many levels. “Sharia-style marriages could be officially recorded by the government,” by Tom McTague for the Daily Mirror, July 22 (thanks to Weasel Zippers):
Sharia-style multiple marriages could be officially recorded, it was claimed last night.
A leaked government document by an integration and tolerance working group said polygamous marriages may be registered by authorities to protect women whose partners take a second or third wife.
The Government strongly denied it would make the practice of having more than one wife legal.
But it is feared the idea could end up being the first step towards recognising multiple marriages under Islamic Sharia law, which allows a man four wives.
Tory MP Philip Hollobone said: “The public will not support the recognition of polygamous marriages. Any step along that road would be a step too far.”
A Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “Polygamy is illegal and will remain so.”
Treat it like a law, and not a suggestion.