Mark Pack

Via the BBC:

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has said the idea of tax breaks for married couples is wrong, and would not work.

The deputy prime minister told Sky News there were “philosophical differences” with the Lib Dems’ coalition partners, the Conservatives, over the issue.

He said there was a limit on what the state “should seek to do in organising people’s private relationships”…

Mr Clegg told the Dermot Murnaghan programme he was in favour of marriage, but said children “thrived best when they see their parents happy together”, whether they were married or not.

He said that he did not think the state offering people “20 quid back would make much difference to people’s decisions” on whether or not to get married…

“We should not take a particular version of the family institution, such as the 1950s model of suit-wearing, bread-winning dad and aproned, home-making mother – and try and preserve it in aspic,” he will reportedly tell the Demos think-tank.

“That’s why open society liberals and big society conservatives will take a different view on a tax break for marriage.”

In addition to the importance substance of the issue, messaging Kremlinologists will note the open espousal of a difference in policy between Liberal Democrats and Conservatives. Policy-wise, this isn’t the 1950s; messaging-wise, this isn’t 2010.