A government minister has issued a less than full-throated defence of the traditional parliamentary practice of prayers at the beginning of the day.
Each day parliamentary business begins with prayers, in practice this is often used as a means for members of Parliament to reserve a seat in the chamber.
Lucy Powell MP, who serves as Leader of the House of Commons, said that the tradition would remain in place, noting that Parliament is connected to the established Church of England and that this historic connection is “sort of important”.
Her decision was criticised by Humanists UK, who said that the tradition was unfair to MPs who are not members of the Church of England, even going so far as to say such members were at a “democratic disadvantage”.
Powell noted that MPs who are committee members are still able to reserve a seat in the chamber without resorting to prayers. Humanists UK claimed this was still unfair to those parliamentarians who are neither on committees nor in the Church of England.
Previously there were calls to abolish the practice of prayers in 2023. At the time Sir Gary Streeter MP, as chair of the Christians in Parliament group, dismissed the suggestion, saying, "The crux of the argument for abolishing Parliamentary Prayers is that by taking all references to religion and God out of politics and public life, we will then have a truly neutral public square.
“However, that would just be to replace one worldview and set of beliefs with another ... For hundreds of years prayer has been a part of Parliamentary proceedings, and thus provides a link with the past and the way Parliament has evolved. We should not be too quick to abolish our traditions and heritage."
