Does anyone really think The Lord’s Prayer and The National Anthem…

Yes, that is right re the history of the SI.

Pickles is a horrible man.

His comments on Grenfell.

I was very unhappy with Pickles and that Act in 2015.

IIRC it arose because a council in Wales had a Christian act of worship in the council chamber at the beginning of every meeting, and many councillors weren't Christian.

One side argued that those who didn't wish to take part could just wait outside the council chamber until those in the chamber were ready to start council business.

The other side argued that those who wished to worship before the meeting could do so outside the council chamber and at a time of their choosing before the scheduled council meeting.

I think the latter was the right course, and that space should have been available in the building for the small groups having their own acts of worship before the meeting.

Pickles went the other way.

If they're going to insist on spending council time, in the council chamber, on something like this, then a contemplative "thought for the day thing" from a variety of religions and secularists is the way to go. It might actually add something positive; rather than being simply be an exercise in control.

We're no longer in the C15th where a single church controls everything that happens in the country and nigh 100% of the population is Christian. We are actually allowed to be atheist now, or even – horrors! – religions other than Christianity.

Cos it's not like water security is an important issue in Kent.

Blimey, even I know about Kent's water issues.

But its common in Labour and LibDem councils as well especially in religiously diverse areas where they invite different faith leaders to improve cultural awareness.

Are you against this as well?

The whole thing is ridiculous. The biggest scandal is that Reform in Kent blocked the reading of a water security proposal to discuss this nonsense instead. Because us Kent types don’t need water, we just need prayer. They’re an embarrassment, and my fellow Kent residents voting them in are an absolute embarrassment too.

Vote for a circus, get clowns.

Definitely not the prayer. Not appropriate and should not happen in Parliament either, divisive and excludes people of other faith or none.
National anthem is just wasting time at the start of the day but I don’t think it’s inherently wrong.

I say this as a Christian who tries (and often fails) to live up to the Lords Prayer

Councils with large numbers of councillors of faiths with dietary requirements have catered for their needs for decades - why on earth wouldn’t they?

What do people then think of councils catering to religious dietary expectations then? With menus being changed to all halal or kosher?

Act of worship led by a religious leader with various faiths taking turns to be represented.

I hope prayers are not while they are clocked in? Pray all you want while you are clocked off, but not while you are being funded by the tax payer.

Because the Lord’s prayer is a prayer, part of christian worship and international. It doesn’t exist to “remind us of our country’s Christian values” in a political setting.
My local council ( Kent, now Reform led) has just decided to do this and I am so cross about it - I think it is performative nonsense. I could get behind it if there were faith based and non faith based “ Thought for the Day” type contributions representing the beliefs of all the Council members and the area it covers - but I also think that would take up a whole lot of time in which they could be working…

Don’t see anything wrong with the national anthem.

councils aren’t specifically Christian so the Lord’s Prayer not appropriate.

don’t see anything wrong with eg a short time of silence to pray to whatever god(s) the councillors believe in

To be fair, "as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation" are values some Reform UK members might need reminding of...

Ditto many of the 10 Commandments.

Though shalt not lie, Nigel. Says so in The Book.

No to both. Separation of church and state is needed for democracy; the national anthem has some pretty grim words and celebrates both religion and monarchy.

It’s not just Reform. The Labour council I worked for started meetings of full council with an act of worship.

Ain’t nobody got time for that!

Don’t care more in life to think about might be different if I worked there
But tbh I don’t think I’d bother

Harsh …
what’s not positive about being patriotic and reminding ourselves of our country’s Christian values?

I don't think either need to be there and didn't know they were.. Just get on with the meeting FGS.

Why would anyone want to hear our horrendous dirge of a national anthem anyway. We ought to change it for something better.

Performative nonsense from the party that wants to sow hate and division. They are just trying to stir up a fuss. I doubt they know the words to both and probably do not live by the values of the Lords Prayer.

Me too @BIossomtoes , I remember the statutory instrument being passed/fed down the food chain. Really tedious when I do many things don’t get passed because of parliamentary time.

I don’t think either belong. I found the religion in council meetings really inappropriate when I worked for local authorities.

The national anthem shouldn't even be the national anthem. Surely it should be the theme tune to The Archers.