AN MP has supported a motion to raise the minimum age of marriage to 18.

It is currently 16 with parent's consent, but James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, has supported a 10 Minute Rule Motion proposed by Pauline Latham, Member of Parliament for Mid Derbyshire, to raise it to 18.

James said: “I am pleased to support this proposed change to the law.

This change would help protect young people, who may not yet have the necessary maturity to enter into marriage, from forced marriages. Whilst allowing them to aspire to succeed in further education and employment.”

Pauline Latham MP, who proposed the 10 Minute rule Motion said: “The current law is in direct contradiction with the work of the Department for International Development which has recently invested £36 million into a project to accelerate action to end child marriage in 12 high prevalence countries.

"I believe that the UK has a duty to live by the very standards it is keen to advocate for in developing world. I note that through their Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations have pledged to end child marriage, where one or both spouses are under 18 by 2030.”