We don't think religious worship should play any part in the formal business of the state.
We want to see parliamentary and local government meetings conducted in a manner equally welcoming to all attendees, whatever their personal beliefs.
Parliamentary prayers
Sittings in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords begin with Anglican prayers. MPs and peers stand for prayers facing the wall behind them – a practice thought to have developed due to the difficulty members would historically have faced of kneeling to pray while wearing a sword.
When the chamber is at its busiest, parliamentary prayers act as a bizarre and antiquated seat reservation system. Even MPs and peers who are slated to speak have no option but to attend prayers in order to reserve a seat.
Whilst they may be viewed by some as an important tradition, parliamentary prayers serve to assert the superiority of Christianity (and the Church of England in particular) at Westminster. This 'tradition' is inimical to a modern, pluralistic, secular democracy.
In the Scottish Parliament, Tuesday afternoon sessions begin with 'Time for Reflection', with faith and belief representatives invited to addresses members for up to four minutes. The Northern Ireland Assembly begins formal business with a period of two minutes of silent prayer or contemplation. The Welsh Assembly has adopted no such rituals.
Parliamentarians who wish to pray are free to do so. But prayers should not form part of the official business of Parliament.
Council prayers
Many local authorities in Britain also begin their meetings with prayer.
Local democracy should be equally welcoming to all sections of society, regardless of their religion or belief. Council meetings should be conducted without anyone feeling excluded, or compelled to either participate in prayers or absent themselves from part of the meeting.
Council prayers open the door to wholly unnecessary conflict and sectarian squabbles within local authorities. There is a history of local councillors being bullied and marginalised for challenging council prayers.
The absence of prayers from the formal business of meetings in no way impedes religious freedoms or denies anybody the right to pray. Conversely, organised worship in secular settings imposes worship on those who do not share the faith. A genuine commitment to freedom of religion or belief is incompatible with including acts of worship in the formal business of council meetings.
If local authorities wish to hold a moment of silent reflection at the beginning of a meeting, or if councillors wish to meet for prayers prior to the meeting, they are at liberty to do so.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Please enter your postcode and urge your MP to support an alternative to parliamentary prayers, to make parliament more welcoming to people of all faiths and none.
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue - for example, if you would like to challenge prayers at your own council.
3. Join the National Secular Society
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Eric Pickles is allowing his evangelical Christianity to cloud his judgment
Posted: Thu, 1 Mar 2012 16:20
The National Secular Society has accused the Minister for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, of allowing his evangelical Christian views to cloud his judgment and risk a damaging split in society.
The NSS also says that the Minister is irresponsibly misleading councils in his advice over a High Court decision that prayers could not be included on council agendas.
In response to an NSS member who complained about Mr Pickles unilaterally declaring that he had invalidated a judgment of the High Court on council prayers by bringing forward the Localism Act, a DCLG official said in a letter:
"Our multifaith nation, which has brought many benefits, is not strengthened by the secularisation of civil life. This move is a clear and important signal that this Government values and will champion the continuing role of religion in public life."
Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said: "The letter from Mr Pickles' department reads like an editorial from the Daily Mail. It talks of "illiberal and intolerant secularism" and the "marginalisation of faith". It is full of ridiculous claims about threats to the right of Christians to worship.
"Councils have interpreted his comments on the Localism Act as permission to ignore a High Court ruling. Yet the Localism Act is, in fact, far from clear on this issue and completely untested. There is no mention of prayers in the Localism Act and it certainly doesn't give the unqualified right of councils to include prayers on their agenda – there are Human Rights and Equality considerations which Mr Pickles cannot override. It is irresponsible and undemocratic of him to simply declare a High Court decision invalid.
Mr Sanderson pointed out that Eric Pickles has a colourful history in his own constituency in relation to the Peniel Pentecostal Church, which was suspected of entryism into the local Conservative Association.
"We have no objections to anyone's religious beliefs, but Mr Pickles appears to be permitting his own rather extreme religious affiliations to affect policy-making. As a Minister for Communities he is playing an extremely dangerous game by promoting Christianity quite so strongly.
"Polls have repeatedly shown that the majority of people in this country do not want religion to influence public policy-making (67% told yougov that religion has no place in public life while 74% told Ipsos-Mori that religion should have no influence over government policy making). Mr Pickles, however, is allowing his own religious enthusiasm to dominate a department that is supposed to unite communities, not set them against each other.
"Eric Pickles is entirely unsuitable to be Communities Secretary and David Cameron should replace him very soon with someone who has a more balanced approach to community relations. If he doesn't, Mr Pickles risks causing enormous damage to community cohesion by allowing his own rather extreme form of Christianity to dominate his department."
The letter from the Department of Communities and Local Government, dated 11 February from Carol Whale of the DCLG stated:
"The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has been clear that this high profile case has generated a public debate about the marginalisation of faith and an illiberal and intolerant secularism. The Secretary of State believes Christianity continues to play an important part in the culture, heritage and fabric of our nation. He is clear that there should be respect for those of other faiths, and those with none. The right to worship is a fundamental and hard-fought British liberty, and the fight for religious freedom in British history is deeply entwined with political freedom.
"The basis of the ruling in the case brought against Bideford Town Council, banning the practice of prayers at the formal beginning of council meetings, was a narrow interpretation of Section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972. In short, it asserted that councils do not have an explicit power to hold prayers as part of the formal business at council meetings.
"As a consequence of the High Court ruling, the Secretary of State decided to fast-track the commencement of the general power of competence in the Localism Act 2011. The power is now in effect for all principal local authorities inEngland(includingLondon, district, county, metropolitan and unitary councils) and by April for parish councils meeting the necessary requirements. Previously councils have only been able to do those things that the law specifically empowered them to do or which are incidental to those things. The new general power of competence turns the current situation on its head. Rather than looking toWhitehallto hand down specific powers, it enables councils to do anything that an individual could do unless it is specifically prohibited by law. These new flexibilities for councils include the freedom to pray and hold prayers at the start of council meetings, should they wish.
"It will of course continue to be for councils to determine the content of prayers, including by reflecting the faith composition of their local area, but the decision on whether to hold prayers is now a local one again. Our multifaith nation, which has brought many benefits, is not strengthened by the secularisation of civil life.
"This move is a clear and important signal that this Government values and will champion the continuing role of religion in public life."
Councillor heckled for walking out of prayers during council meeting
Posted: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:52
A Cheshire town councillor who walked out of a meeting before prayers was heckled and told 'he should be ashamed of himself'.
Sandbach Town Councillor Richard Hoffmann told the NSS: "As I was leaving the room I was verbally abused by three members of the public saying I should be ashamed of myself, and that I shouldn't have stood for the council if I didn't want to say prayers."
Cllr Hoffmann has now called for the tradition to be removed from the formal business of the meeting so he "doesn't have to look the odd one out by leaving the room".
Sandbach Town Council has retained prayers as part of its formal business in defiance of a High Court ruling making it unlawful, following a judicial review initiated by the National Secular Society.
The town mayor Dennis Robinson is reported to have told the local Crewe Chronicle that removing traditional prayers would be an "attack on Christianity". He opened Thursday's meeting by saying "anyone who wishes to leave may do so now."
Cllr Hoffmann told the NSS: "As far as I am concerned, when the Mayor and their deputy is in the council chamber, and all Councillors are standing up, the formal meeting has started. I believe they have broken the law.
"My view on prayers at council meetings is that they should not be part of the formal meeting.
"I am an atheist, and strongly believe that church and state should be kept separate. If the council wants to have prayers, they should have them 10 minutes before the meeting."
Stephen Evans of the National Secular Society said: "No councillor should be subjected to such abuse for opting not to join in with the religious worship of other councillors, particularly as part of a formal council meeting."
Meanwhile, neighbouring Middlewich Town Council has confirmed that it has taken prayers off the agenda and will hold them five minutes before meetings officially starts.
