Councils want to keep prayer time tradition

Last Friday Mr Justice Ouseley ruled that Bideford Town Council in Devon acted unlawfully by allowing prayers to be said at the beginning of meetings.

Action had been brought against the council by the National Secular Society after an atheist councillor complained.

The judgement may have implications for local councils across England and Wales, including Warwick district, Warwick town and Kenilworth town councils, all three of which follow the tradition of saying a prayer before full council meetings.

Warwick District Council leader Cllr Michael Doody said: “Prayers give a council the chance to ask for guidance on the decision that will be made at that meeting.

“I am staggered that any court would feel that the council was being wrong in doing that.

“I have been on the council for 25 years and prayers have been said at meetings since before I joined.”

Cllr Doody said it was up to the council chairman to decide whether to say prayers and if so, what type of prayers to say – whatever faith they follow.

He added: “When the House of Lords meets, members of the public are excluded while they have prayers. If the House of Commons can have prayers, I don’t see what is wrong if the council does.

“It will be a sorrowful day when we have to stop it.”

Warwick town clerk Derek Maudlin said: “Warwick is seen as a fairly traditional mayorality, which dates back to 1545.

“If a person has beliefs, I don’t see why that person finds that another person’s beliefs should infringe on his.

“What disappoints me is that a person can be so aware of what his own rights are that he has no understanding of anybody else’s considerations. It’s a desire to impose your own beliefs on somebody else.”

In Kenilworth, the town council has a rota which enables different ministers to lead the prayer throughout the course of the year.

Town clerk Geoff Symes said: “It’s always at the beginning of the meeting and anyone can walk out for that period or simply not participate. We have never had an issue.

“Some of those who don’t go to church regularly will be the ones who would least want it to be taken away because they believe it is a standard.”