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UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson claims that “76 per cent of Pakistanis in Bradford marry their first cousins.”
He claimed British Pakistanis account for “33 per cent of birth defects” in UK. (Representative Image/Pexels)
A video posted online featuring UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson has gained widespread attention. In it, he is claiming that cousin marriages within the British Pakistani community are responsible for a large share of birth defects in the UK. The video, filled with strong remarks and controversial statistics, has triggered intense backlash and debate across social media.
In the video shared on X (formerly Twitter), Robinson claims that “76 per cent of Pakistanis in Bradford marry their first cousins.” He further says that British Pakistanis, who make up around 3% of the UK’s population, account for “33 per cent of birth defects.” He blames the practice on Islamic history as he claimed that it puts pressure on the country’s healthcare system.
“They are being born and retarded. It’s costing us a fortune. It’s costing the economy a fortune. It’s billions and billions because Muhammad married his cousin. Well, don’t care for what Muhammad did in the seventh century because he was a barbarian wall. It’s no longer right. It’s never been right, and it has to stop in Great Britain,” he added.
Tommy Robinson tells it like it is:“Pakistanis make up 3% of the UK population. They are responsible for 33% of birth defects. They are being born retarded.
It’s costing the economy billions and billions because Mohammed married his cousin.”
Ban cousin marriage! pic.twitter.com/tP6FBsUzwP
– Dr. Maalouf (@realmaalouf) July 6, 2025
Social Media Reacts
While many supported him, there was also widespread backlash, with several users calling out the language used and questioning the accuracy of the statistics.
One user wrote, “This is a mix of distorted stats and open racism. Yes, cousin marriage can raise risks, but reducing an entire group to slurs like ‘retarded’ is vile. If it’s about health, focus on awareness, not hate.”
Another comment pointed out, “Stats stated are misrepresented.”
Grok Fact-Check
When one user asked to verify Robinson’s claims, Grok, an AI chatbot by xAI, said the 76 per cent figure for cousin marriages in Bradford is “exaggerated.” It cited the Born in Bradford study, which found that around 60 per cent of marriages were between cousins from 2007 to 2010, which dropped to 46 per cent by 2016–2019.
But the AI citing UK NHS (National Health Service) and academic research confirmed that British Pakistanis, who roughly 3 per cent of the population, account for 30–33 per cent of genetic birth defects, which is linked to cousin marriages.
The Bradford stat cited (76% of Pakistanis marrying first cousins) appears exaggerated; reliable studies like Born in Bradford (2007-2010) found ~60% consanguineous marriages in the community, dropping to 46% by 2016-2019. UK-wide, Pakistanis (~3% of population) account for…— Grok (@grok) July 6, 2025
What Research Says
Earlier this year, a BBC report shared new data from the Born in Bradford study that tracked over 13,000 children between 2007 and 2010. More than one in six children in the study had parents who are first cousins, mostly from Bradford’s Pakistani community.
Researchers found that children of first cousins had a 6 per cent chance of inheriting a recessive disorder compared to 3 per cent in the general population. The study also observed speech development, school performance and other early childhood outcomes.
Even after controlling for poverty and parental education, the study found that children of first cousins had an 11 per cent chance of being diagnosed with speech or language problems versus 7 per cent in other children. They were also less likely to meet key learning milestones by age five.
They also found that a child of first cousins has a 54 per cent chance of reaching a “good stage of development,” which is a standard assessment given by the UK government to all five-year-olds, compared to 64 per cent for children whose parents are not related.
UK Policy
In the UK, cousin marriage is legal but debated. According to the BBC, conservative MP Richard Holden has proposed a bill to outlaw the practice, though the current government has said there are “no plans” to do so. Instead, the UK follows a genetic counselling approach where first-cousin couples are educated about the risks of having children.
Meanwhile, countries like Norway have already banned cousin marriage. Sweden plans to follow next year.
A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.
A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.
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