A strong, stable family life is critical for every child. That is why we have put the family at the heart of our vision and why are committed to making Britain the most family friendly country in the world.
Families shapes our children’s outlook and provide that all important emotional and practical support. As David Cameron said earlier this week, it is the family that can do the most to build a culture of personal responsibility that will remain for the rest of our lives.
70% of young people aspire to have a stable long term relationship; many still want to demonstrate that commitment by getting married. Yet, despite this clear preference for stability, Britain has one of the highest levels of family breakdown in Europe.
Our package of policies will help support families to stay together, right from the start, so that they can thrive in modern Britain.
Children flourish in a stable family environment. However, the current benefits system gives couples with children more money if they live apart. Our first reform will be to support families to stay together by ending this ‘couple penalty’. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has clearly shown that children brought up in two-parent families have a better start in life. David Cameron has reiterated that marriage will be recognised in the tax and benefit system bringing Britain into line with the rest of the western world.