Cotswolds News
Unholy row about prayers at council
8:00am Monday 20th February 2012
THE unholy row over the right of councils to hear prayers during meetings has been branded “a storm in a teacup” by a district council leader.
Across the country, council legal teams are waiting to hear details of what the High Court’s decision to ban prayers from official council agendas will mean for local authorities.
Councillor Paul Middlebrough, leader of Wychavon District Council, said the council would continue to say its prayers. “It is a storm in a teacup, which has upset a lot of people,” he said.
However, Bob McNally, spokesman for Cotswold District Council, said: “On the basis of the information currently available, a formal item calling for a prayer will not be included on the Cotswold District Council agenda when it next meets on February 28.“ Stratford District Council spokesman Beverley Hemming, said that although prayers were said at meetings of the full council, they were not an agenda item and were said at the chairman’s discretion. “Our solicitor is considering the judgement and will report in due course to full council on the implications of the ruling with regard to the council’s current practice.”
West Oxfordshire District Council does not have prayers at council meetings.
The issue arose after a High Court ruling by Mr Justice Ouseley, saying councils lacked powers to hold prayers as part of any formal council meeting. Mr Justice Ouseley did rule it lawful for prayers to be said in a council chamber before a formal meeting, so long as councillors were not formally told they must attend.
The case was brought by the National Secular Society and an ex-councillor from Devon.
Adrian Hardman, Worcestershire County Council leader, issued a statement but declined to comment further on the matter.
He said it could take months to work out how the judgement would affect council meetings.
“Our lawyers will need to consider the details of the judgement once it becomes available, at which point the picture locally will become clearer,” he said.
The leader of Malvern Hills District Council was unavailable to comment.