Reform UK's candidate for the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election has provoked significant controversy by proposing that individuals who do not have children should face additional taxation as a punitive measure. Matthew Goodwin, unveiled as the party's candidate last week, made the suggestion in a 2023 Substack blog post that has recently resurfaced, advocating for a "negative child benefit tax" targeting those without offspring.
Dystopian Comparisons and Political Backlash
The proposal has drawn immediate and fierce criticism from political opponents, with Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell likening it to themes from Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel "The Handmaid's Tale." In that fictional narrative, fertile women are enslaved to bear children during a fertility crisis, creating disturbing parallels to Goodwin's taxation idea.
"Matthew Goodwin's big idea is so ludicrous, you'd be forgiven for thinking this is something out of the Handmaid's Tale," Powell told The Independent. "It would punish millions of women and strip them of their basic dignity to choose."
Goodwin's Family Values Agenda
In his extensive blog post, the former university academic and honorary president of Students4Reform argued that the "British family is imploding," claiming this collapse has "very real and very negative effects on the country around us." His proposals to reinforce family values included multiple measures beyond the controversial tax suggestion.
Goodwin advocated for creating a national day to celebrate families and parenthood, having families receive a telegram from the King when they have a third child, entrenching the importance of family in the school curriculum, and switching child benefit to incentivize larger families. He also suggested sacrificing more land for cheaper family homes and prioritizing British families in new housing developments.
"These are all things we could be debating and developing right now in Britain," Goodwin wrote, "where the collapse of the family has not only become unavoidable but is having very real and very negative effects on the country around us."
Disproportionate Impact on Women
While Goodwin's proposed tax would technically apply to both men and women without children, critics argue it would disproportionately affect women by creating intense social and financial pressure to become pregnant. The Reform candidate simultaneously suggested removing personal income tax for women who have two or more children, creating what opponents describe as a coercive financial framework around reproductive decisions.
Labour's Lucy Powell emphasized this point in her criticism, stating that Reform under Nigel Farage "are more interested in dividing people, rather than bringing people together." She urged voters in Gorton and Denton to support Labour to prevent what she called "divisive politics" from gaining a foothold in Manchester.
Reform's Defense and Broader Context
A Reform spokesman defended Goodwin's proposal, stating: "This is Labour being disingenuous once again. This is an idea that was first suggested by the respected demographer Paul Moreland as part of a range of measures that should be debated and discussed across developed nations if we are serious about dealing with our looming demographic crisis."
The spokesman added: "The Labour government has got its head in the sand when it comes to thinking about the long-term challenges facing Britain. We need a grown up, mature debate about how we can encourage people to have more children and support British families."
Goodwin's Controversial History
This is not the first time Matthew Goodwin has sparked controversy. The GB News presenter, who appears on the channel three times weekly, faced criticism last year for comments suggesting people from minority ethnic backgrounds might not necessarily be British even if born in the UK. Following a mass stabbing incident in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, Goodwin blamed "mass uncontrolled immigration" on social media, then defended his position after learning the suspect was UK-born by noting that "all of the 7/7 bombers" were also born in Britain.
These comments were condemned by the Liberal Democrats as "racist rhetoric" and a "disgrace." In a more unusual incident in 2017, Goodwin ate pages from his own book, "Brexit: Why Britain voted to leave the European Union," live on Sky News after incorrectly predicting that Labour would not poll as high as 38 percent under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. The party ultimately achieved 40 percent of the vote.
By-Election Dynamics
The controversy emerges as Reform UK prepares for the Gorton and Denton by-election, with party leader Nigel Farage claiming the campaign has gotten off to a "very, very good start." Recent polling suggests the contest is becoming a two-horse race between Reform and Labour, increasing the significance of Goodwin's proposals and the resulting political debate about family policy, taxation, and reproductive rights in contemporary Britain.
