Plymouth’s Labour administration has removed prayers from formal council meetings in a move that has been described as a “thoughtless rush for change.”
Brought forward
Prayers have been traditionally held by Plymouth Council at the start of official business at 2pm, but have now been brought forward by 15 minutes to 1.45pm.
Labour leaders said that the decision to exclude prayers from formal meetings was “part of the process of modernisation” and was aimed at “accommodating” the growing audience of online webcast viewers.
Email
The change was announced in an email from Judith Shore, the democratic and member services manager, who made references to the increasing popularity of the online webcast which has “seen almost 100,000 hits".
She added: "As part of the process of modernisation, it is considered that council meetings should start at 2pm precisely – as advertised and as anticipated by members of the public who want to see the meeting via the webcast.
“In order to accommodate this, it is considered that prayers should be said at 1.45pm.”
Disagreement
But Conservative Councillor Ted Fry said that his party strongly disagreed with the decision, which he says should have been taken following a public debate on the issue.
He added: “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.
"My party abhors the thoughtless rush for change.”
High Court ruling
Last year, Bideford Town Council was forced to stop holding prayers at the start of official meetings after a High Court ruled that there was “no statutory power” to allow the tradition to continue.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles subsequently intervened to secure the right of council members to hold prayers by quickening the introduction of a “general power of competence.”
But the Mayor of Bideford, Trevor Johns, announced that the Council will no longer resume the practice, saying that the Government’s intervention did not go far enough and left the legality of council prayers in a grey area.
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