Harry Benson, research director of Marriage Foundation, examines the topic from the perspective of lower income groups. He addresses how the destigmatisation of pre-marital sex in the 1960s and 70s was disadvantageous for the poor, who no longer benefitted from the protection of marriage. He discusses how marriage went from being a 'cornerstone' - a foundation for life, to being a 'capstone' - a symbol of individual success and completion. He shares the findings of the Millennium Cohort - a study which revealed how the poorest couples who married were more likely to stay together than the richest couples who never married. Finally, he emphasises how 'people are hard-wired to want reliable love' and that marriage offers the best chance of receiving this.

Key references and quotations:

‘The cornerstone has become the capstone’

‘We are hardwired to want reliable love; the act of marriage itself sends a strong signal that you are serious about giving and receiving reliable love’.

‘It is easy to slide rather than decide’.

‘There is a huge buffer against poverty within the act of marriage’

‘The patriarchy is found in cohabiting relationships. The power rests with the person who is less committed’.

1970s - 9% teenage people not living with both natural parents - now 45%. Explained by marital decline.