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
Traditionalists furious as Plymouth council shifts prayers
Posted: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 14:17
Conservative councillors in Plymouth have reacted furiously to a new timetable for council meetings that moves prayers to 15 minutes before the meeting begins.
The move is thought to have been influenced by the High Court victory by the National Secular Society last year which ruled that prayers should not be included as part of council meeting agendas.
The prayers will now be said at 1.45pm and the council meeting will begin at 2pm.
An email to councillors from Judith Shore, democratic and member services manager, said that the change had been made so that members of the public who watch the meeting by webcast know that the meeting starts promptly at 2pm.
Conservative group leader Cllr Ted Fry told the Plymouth Herald this week: "This is Plymouth, a city where tradition matters to our citizens. Labour may use their majority to impose their will. This would be wrong. Let there be public debate and reflection by decision makers before they decide. Would Labour insist on the Lord Mayor's attendance at 1.45? My party abhors the thoughtless rush for change. Co-operative council? Nonsense."
A spokeswoman for Plymouth City Council told the paper: "The start time for full council meetings is not changing. The meetings will begin at 2pm. Rather than prayers being held at 2pm followed by the meeting formally commencing, which results in a delay to the start of the webcast, prayers will now be held a few minutes earlier so the meeting can start promptly and on time at 2pm."
Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, said: "Councillor Fry says that the Labour group is 'imposing their will' on people with this decision. But they are not banning prayers. The prayers will still be said, albeit not as part of the council meeting. That is what the law requires.
"If there is any 'imposition', it would be forcing councillors who don't want to be involved in prayers to sit through them — which is what happens when prayers are on the council meeting agenda."
Mr Sanderson said that Plymouth had made the right decision, although not necessarily for the right reason.
MP attempts to reintroduce prayers during council meetings
Posted: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 08:56
Conservative MP Matthew Offord has introduced a parliamentary bill to reintroduce prayers to local council meetings. Religious observance at council meetings was outlawed by the High Court in 2012 after a successful challenge by the National Secular Society.
Mr Offord's Private Members' Bill would amend the Local Government Act of 1972 to give councils permission to hold prayers at their discretion. The Private Members' Bill is reported to be supported by Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles. Mr Pickles had previously asserted that the recently introduced Localism Act gave local councils the power to hold prayers during meetings. Mr Pickles' assertion has been disputed by the National Secular Society.
Dr Offord says his new bill (The Local Government (Religious etc. Observances) Bill) is intended to stem what he sees as "a campaign against religious beliefs". The Conservative MP believes the ruling is an example of "a wave of attacks" on practices of faith, including, he says, the recently proposed introduction of same-sex marriage, of which he is an outspoken opponent.
Introducing the Bill, church-goer and Member of Parliament for Hendon, Dr Offord, said: "Reading prayers of any religion before meetings is something members of my constituency feel is important. It is something I always liked and I was upset when it was banned."
Stephen Evans, campaigns manager at the National Secular Society said: "The law Dr Offord is trying to change does not deny anybody the right to pray, but it does prevent religious believers from imposing their religion on others. We firmly believe, and the courts agree, that prayers have no place in a secular environment concerned with civic business.
"Even where a majority of local councillors wish to say prayers, they should not be able to impose their will on other equally elected councillors. The right of individuals to freedom of religion must always be balanced by the right to be free from religion.
"Dr Offord is clearly disgruntled at the secular direction that society is going in, but his attempt to fuse religion and politics is doomed to failure."
