Campaign to stop Council prayers – how you can help
There are many — maybe even the majority — of local councils in this country that start their meetings with Christian prayers. Non-believers and people of other religions are put in the embarrassing position of wondering whether to participate or pointedly not participate. We believe that it is unacceptable for elected representatives to be put through this in carrying out their duty. A typical reaction to their protests is that they are told they can leave the chamber during prayers. We also know of potential candidates who will not put their names forward for election, appalled that they are expected to participate in prayers. This deprives local democracy of much-needed new blood and people who would better represent the full spectrum of the local community.
We are not seeking to restrict freedom of worship. If some Council members wish to pray, there is no problem with them doing it before Council meetings. But this should be separate from the meetings and preferably not in the same room, so that people arriving for the meeting are not inconvenienced.
We have been working on this campaign for some months and after complaints from councillors, top lawyers working on behalf of the NSS have sent a letter to one council advising them that prayers during council meetings are in conflict with human rights provisions. The council is currently considering our lawyers’ letter and we will publish details of the outcome shortly.
We now need to know which councils are including prayers in their meetings and which aren’t. We need supporters to enquire whether their district, town, parish and county council meetings include prayers. Please check the list below and if your council is not listed, please contact them to find out if they hold prayers during council meetings, then email us your findings.
Please help us by using the following format:
For councils who are holding prayers
Please send separate emails for each council where there are council prayers. The exact name of the council should be in the subject line.
In the text please confirm the information and explain how you obtained it. Then give the official to whom we should write (normally Town Clerk or County Clerk) with their position, the council and full postal address so we can simply paste this and write to them. We would appreciate your concluding with your name and telephone number for any queries. Email your results to councilprayers@secularism.org.uk.
So, your email should read:
[Precise name of Council] includes prayers in its meetings.
I established this by [reference to the agenda or minutes in the library/by speaking to name and position of official on date, telephone number or place.
Please write to .......
My name and telephone number are: ......
For councils who are NOT holding prayers
Please list exact names of Councils, each on a separate line. There is no need for a separate email for each Council not holding prayers. They should be sent to nocouncilprayers@secularism.org.uk.
Then after the council name(s) please add:
Information provided by [your name and telephone number]
Please note: Absence of prayers from minutes is not necessarily evidence that prayers don’t take place. For clarity, please contact the council in question directly.
Councils contacted so far...
| Ashburton Town Council |
| Bath & North East Somerset Council |
| Belfast City Council |
| Bideford Town Council |
| Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Bournemouth Borough Council |
| Braintree District Council |
| Breckland District Council |
| Bridgend County Borough Council |
| Bridgnorth Town Council |
| Bristol City Council |
| Broadland District Council (Norfolk) |
| Bromsgrove District Council |
| Broxtowe Borough Council |
| Caerphilly County Borough Council |
| Calderdale MBC |
| Calvert Green Parish Council, Buckinghamshire |
| Canterbury City Council |
| Cardiff Council |
| Carrickfergus Borough Council |
| Chelmsford District council |
| Cheltenham Borough Council |
| Cheshire East Council |
| Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council |
| City of Edinburgh Council |
| Colchester Borough Council |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) |
| Cornwall Council |
| Dartmouth Town Council |
| Derby City Council |
| Devon County Council |
| Dorset County Council |
| Dudley Metropolitan Council |
| Durham County Council |
| Ealing Council |
| East Hampshire District Council |
| Elmbridge Borough Council |
| Essex County Council |
| Exeter City Council |
| Fareham Borough Council |
| Ffestiniog Town Coucil |
| Folkestone Town Council |
| Gedling Bourough Council |
| Hackney Council |
| Hampshire County Council |
| Harlow District Council |
| Hartlepool Borough Council |
| Havant Borough Council |
| High Peak Borough Council |
| Hillingdon London Borough Council |
| Honiton Town Council |
| Huntingdonshire District Council |
| Kent County Council |
| Kingston upon Hull City Council |
| Kirklees Council (Huddersfield) |
| Lancashire County Council |
| Lancaster City Council |
| Lichfield District Council |
| Lisburn City Council |
| London Borough of Brent |
| London Borough of Enfield |
| London Borough of Haringey Council |
| London Borough of Harrow Council |
| London Borough of Havering |
| London Borough of Lambeth |
| London Borough of Newham |
| London Borough of Redbridge |
| Maldon District Council |
| Manchester City Council |
| Mansfield District Council |
| Market Drayton Town Council |
| Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council |
| Much Wenlock Town Council |
| New Forest District Council |
| New Milton Town Council |
| Newark and Sherwood Distrct Council |
| Newton Abbot Town Council |
| Norfolk County Council |
| North Dorset District Council |
| North Down Borough Council |
| North Lanarkshire Council |
| North Norfolk District Council |
| North Somerset Council |
| North Somerset Council |
| North Yorkshire County Council |
| Northampton Borough Council |
| Norwich City Council |
| Norwich City Council |
| Nottingham City Council |
| Nottinghamshire County Council |
| Oswestry Town Council |
| Ottery St Mary Town Council |
| Oxfordshire County Council |
| Perth and Kinross Council |
| Perth and Kinross Council |
| Reading Borough Council |
| Reigate & Banstead Borough Council |
| Renfrewshire Council |
| Rochford District Council |
| Runnymede Borough Council |
| Rushcliffe Borough Council |
| Salford City Council |
| Salisbury City Council |
| Salisbury City Council |
| Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council |
| Seaton Town Council |
| Sefton Council |
| Selby District Council |
| Selby District Council |
| Sevenoaks District Council |
| Shepway District Council |
| Shrewsbury Town Council |
| Shropshire Council |
| Sidmouth Town Council |
| Slough Borough Council |
| Solihull Council |
| South Ayrshire Council |
| South Hams District Council |
| South Hams District Council |
| South Norfolk District Council |
| South Ribble Borough Council |
| South Tyneside Council |
| South Woodham Ferrers Town Council |
| St Neots Town Council |
| Staffordshire County Council |
| Stanley Town Council |
| Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council |
| Stoke on Trent City Council |
| Stratford upon Avon Town Council |
| Stroud District Council |
| Suffolk Coastal District Council |
| Surrey County Council |
| Swale Borough Council |
| Swanmore Parish Council |
| Teignbridge District Council |
| Telford & Wrekin Council |
| The Highland Council |
| Torbay Council |
| Totnes Town Council |
| Trafford Council |
| Wakefield Council |
| Walsall Metropolitan Council |
| Wandsworth Council |
| West Devon Borough Council |
| West Dunbartonshire Council |
| Winchester City Council |
| Wolverhampton City Council |
| Woodbridge Town Council |
| Wyre Borough Council |
| York City Council |
