Labour’s former deputy leader said if she ruled the world they would no longer be allowed to discuss how damaging divorce can be

Harriet Harman has called for an end to politicians talking about the importance of marriage.

Labour’s former deputy leader said if she ruled the world they would no longer be allowed to discuss how damaging divorce can be.

She accused ministers who back marriage of ‘sneering’ at single mothers and making their children feel there is something wrong with them.

Last night her comments drew a sharp rebuke from Iain Duncan Smith, the former work and pensions secretary, who said they were based on prejudice rather than facts.

Another Tory MP said the intervention demonstrated just how intolerant people on the left were of differing views.

They both pointed to research showing that children affected by family breakdown were far more likely to fail at school, develop an addiction and have serious mental health problems – making it more likely they would face a life of poverty.

Miss Harman, a well-known feminist, made her comments in a Prospect magazine article titled ‘If I ruled the world’.

She wrote: ‘All prime ministers talk about families, which isn’t surprising. After all, families are everything for a child and for an elderly person – and very important for all the years in between.But if I ruled the world, I’d have something to say about the way that politicians had this discussion.

‘I’d ban them from going on about how important marriage is and how damaging divorce is. She added: ‘Most cabinets are full of ministers on their second or third wives so they are in no position to lecture.

‘I’d ban sneering at lone mothers too. The mean message it sends to their children is, “There’s something wrong with your family and therefore something wrong with you.”’

Miss Harman also said she would ‘forcibly’ narrow the pay gap between men and women.

She demanded ‘Swedish-style’ paternity pay and time off for new fathers but wrote: ‘I’d keep a careful eye out for spikes in the number of men taking family leave during the World Cup.’

Last night her comments drew a sharp rebuke from Iain Duncan Smith, the former work and pensions secretary, who said they were based on prejudice rather than facts

The former Labour deputy leader said she wanted a ‘crackdown’ on employers who pay part-time workers less, or fail to give them promotion.

In a world run by Miss Harman, grandmothers and grandfathers would be given time off work to care for grandchildren.

Parents should be able to take days off to look after a sick child, she said, as well as being able to demand flexible work hours to care for older relatives.

She concluded: ‘“We can’t afford it,” I hear you cry. We’ve never really tried. And bringing up children and caring for elderly relatives are so important. Instead of just lecturing them, it’s time we backed families.’ Last night Tory MP Philip Davies, who sits on the Commons women and equalities select committee, said: ‘This just goes to show how intolerant Harriet Harman and people on the left generally are if anyone holds a different opinion. ‘All the evidence shows that children are much likely to do better if brought up by married parents. That is not being judgmental, after all I am divorced.’

Mr Duncan Smith said: ‘These comments are unbelievable.

‘Whenever Harriet Harman makes comments like this it shows she does not base anything she says on facts.’

The former Tory leader said the Centre for Social Justice, which he set up in 2004, had produced research underlining the importance of marriage in keeping children out of poverty.

For example, by the age of five, 48 per cent of children in low-income households are not living with both parents, compared to 16 per cent in middle to higher income households.