Protect and Promote the Family: Basic National Building Block
This is Part 9 of our series "Basic Principles of Patriotic Sovereignty". These principles lay out the fundamentals which underpin a national ideology. If you believe in "the nation" as an organising principle of politics, then you believe in these principles. You judge national policies on whether they accord with, or contradict, these principles.
Pic: The notorious stock photo from 2023 which Sadiq Khan's office said "doesn't represent real Londoners".
The word "nation" is derived from the Latin verb nasci which means "to be born."
A nation is nothing without its children, born to its families.
A government which does not protect and promote the family is, by the very definition of the word, not a "national" government.
Therefore, protecting and promoting the child-bearing and child-rearing family is a basic principle of patriotic sovereignty.
DEFINITION OF "FAMILY"
In this document, we are speaking about the stage of a family which is child-bearing and child-rearing, and with the understanding that this stage of a family will usually give rise to an extended family.
Since the 1970s, the idea of what constitutes "a family" has undergone changes from the basic "married heterosexual child-bearing and child-rearing family" to different versions, including non-married and non-heterosexual definitions.
This has tended to confuse the definition of "a family" for policy purposes. It can tend to define "a family" so widely that we end up without a workable definition to which we can apply public policy.
In this article, we focus on a specific definition in order to apply public policy to deliberately encourage child-bearing and child-rearing.
Our pro-family policies in this document are intended to advantage what we are identifying as "the married child-bearing and child-rearing family". These policies may be adapted to recognise different family arrangements, which also bear and raise children, where necessary.
"Why emphasise 'married'?" Because it's a deliberate Social Contract and Covenant!
We emphasise "married" because marriage is a deliberate social institution – agreed between the couple, within and governed by and protected by, the state, to whom they have a responsibility and from whom consequently they enjoy the protection.
At least, that's the theory!
It is the marriage institution which publicly bonds the couple with the wider society.
Marriage means that the married couple has a direct link and responsibility to the state (which represents the wider society) and the state (representing the wider society) has a direct link and responsibility to the married couple.
A lot of that is forgotten these days, or lost in the noise. But it remains true, and it remains the ideal.
There is – at least there should be – an acknowledgement, ideally stated-out-loud, that this two-way relationship will be a mutually beneficial one; for the benefit of the couple and for the wider society!
For example, consider the ceremony itself: Marriage is a social ritual which involves a solemn and specific commitment by the couple to be loyal to each other personally and, through the ceremony itself, to the rest of society in a public and legal way. That's why the ritual is conducted in front of witnesses, and by a state-approved person.
Unfortunately, "society" – as represented by the state, which is to say the government of the day – has not lately been rewarding that significant public and legal commitment with the benefits which it should confer to those of its citizens who engage in such a solemn social contract and covenant!
On the contrary, it appears the state has done its best to financially hinder such an arrangement once it is in place!
One thing is clear: A nation which does not value, and therefore does not deliberately financially advantage the married child-bearing and child-rearing family – its basic national building block – will not be able to maintain itself into the future.
THE AIM of FAMILY POLICY
The aim should be that nobody hesitates to get married and have children for fear of "the cost".
We know that people will marry because they want to – not necessarily because it will advantage them financially – but once they do, then it should be a fact that they should not be financially disadvantaged.
The financial consequences, especially of tax, benefits, and rent, should work to the advantage of the married couple, not against them.
If marriage is to have a status in society, then this should be positively reflected in the tax, benefit and housing system.
We suggest some policies:
SOME FAMILY-FRIENDLY POLICIES:
Transferable Married Couples Tax Allowance
For example, the income tax allowance for a working person in tax year 24/25 is £12,570 before tax kicks in.
If one spouse is at home raising the children, then she (usually) is not making an income. This might cause financial difficulties. Therefore, the working spouse should be able to share the tax allowance of the one looking after the children, meaning that he or she would not be taxed until their income hits £25,140.
This is fairly basic stuff, and the fact that (in the run-up to the 2024 General Election) it is not being proposed by the mainstream parties – although it is being proposed by smaller parties – does make one question the extent to which the mainstream parties appear to have an ideological opposition towards the traditional family unit.
Increase Married Tax Allowance per Child
It should also be possible to increase this Married Couples Tax Allowance depending upon how many children you have, with no cap on the number of children. It could also apply to couples where both are working, with the couple's tax allowance increased for every child which they have.
Child Benefits for Every Child
There should be generous financial benefits for having children, as a matter of course. This should not even be controversial!
This may, or may not, encourage people to have more children; but even if it does not encourage them, it should be done anyway because children should be considered a good thing to have in the first place!
Women with Children should Not be Forced into the Workplace
The emphasis to date has been helping women (usually) with benefits for nursery and childcare. This is helpful for some women who work outside the home, married or otherwise.
However, an additional option is to pay women directly to stay at home if they want, with the recognition that looking after children is also a full-time job!
This may help couples to raise a family with one person working full-time, or two people working part-time.
With the increased ability for people to "work from home", it should become increasingly possible for mothers to earn from home.
Affordable Housing, and Loans
Homes should be built with the specific purpose of being "Starter Family Homes", with suitable bedrooms and space.
Loans could be given to newly married couples to help them purchase such homes, or rent them for a period of years. A proportion of the loan should be written off with the birth of each child.
Council Tax Reductions
Families with children should receive council tax reductions on their accommodation, wherever they live.
Families who are looking after elderly relatives in their own homes should also have reductions in their council tax, or council rents, or helped with payments in some way, in order to reflect the saving which this is conferring upon the nation which would otherwise be spending money on elderly care.
Stop Immigration!
It is impossible for people to find family homes if there are hundreds of thousands of people coming into the country every year, and who need housing! In 2023, over 1.2 million long-term immigrants came into the UK!
Unless immigration is stopped, or severely curtailed, then the scarcity of accommodation will continue and the price of homes will continue to rise!
A nation which believes in families and children will ensure that there is plenty of housing provision for the nation's families. It will, therefore, stop or severely restrict immigration.
This will help families to thrive, and it will also help protect children from the physical dangers which uncontrolled immigration and "asylum" brings into the nation.
There is no doubt that those who advocate for Infinity Immigration and Infinity Asylum are advocating against the economic and physical interests of the people, and children, of this country.
This is why maintaining Secure Borders is an essential principle of Patriotic Sovereignty.
The fact that successive national governments in the UK have not helped the "natives" of the country (also a word descended from the Latin "to be born") in the above ways, demonstrates that they've broken faith with the people of the nation.
British Citizens to have First Choice in Council Accommodation
It should go without saying that British citizens should always have first choice of any available accommodation, and this should be a legal right!
Oh, and there's one more objection that we should consider, because we always hear it whenever good ideas are proposed...
"But where's the money to come from?"
A sovereign parliament can always create money when it needs to! This is a "hidden fact" that needs to become better known! See Part 4 of Basic Principles of Patriotic Sovereignty!
BASIC PRINCIPLES of PATRIOTIC SOVEREIGNTY Series
Part 1: Ensure the Integrity of the Democratic Process in the first place: Scrap Postal Voting on Demand.
Part 2: Uphold Freedom of Speech, Debate, Enquiry, Assembly and Protest: Abolish Anti-Free Speech Laws.
Part 5: National Voting Rights Derive from National Citizenship: Repeal Voting Rights based on Residence.
Part 9: Protect and Promote the Family: Basic National Building Block.
Part 10: Self-Defence for Self-Determination.
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