Parish councillors to debate ban on prayers

A parish council in Staffordshire will become the first authority in the area to debate whether to scrap prayers at the start of its meetings.

Members of Penkridge Parish Council will open their next meeting with prayers – before holding a discussion on whether to ban them. A councillor who wants prayers totally removed from the agenda has triggered the debate.

The council has listed prayers before official business for tomorrow's meeting, in line with a ruling issued by the High Court. Councillors have been invited, but not summoned, to attend before the formal start of the meeting if they want to say prayers.

They will later discuss a High Court ruling on the practice, which declared saying prayers was only lawful "provided councillors are not formally summoned to attend".

Members will be asked to consider whether to ban prayers completely, or continue with the compromise.

South Staffordshire Council's agendas state proceedings open with prayers while neither Stafford Borough Council nor Staffordshire County Council list prayers as part of the formal agenda.

In Wolverhampton, Dudley and Walsall prayers are said before business on the agenda. Sandwell Council does not say prayers.

Penkridge Parish Council chairman Petula Hughes said: "We are having a discussion because I feel we need to get the whole council's perspective on this. To keep within the law we are having prayers a few minutes before the meeting opens."

The meeting is at the Haling Dene Centre at 7.30pm.

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