Prayers back on Council agenda

Councillors bowed their heads en masse as new mayor Pam Brown re-introduced the custom before last Wednesday's full council meeting.

But several councillors were forced to hurriedly exit the chamber after receiving no prior warning a prayer was taking place.

Prayers were dropped six years ago by incoming mayor Godfrey Daniel, sparking a furious face-off with outgoing incumbent Graeme White. The Liberal Democrat councillor defied council leadership by commencing a council meeting with a bible reading. The meeting was suspended after the entire Labour group left the chamber.

Cllr Daniel - who was amongst the councillors who remained outside during the prayer last week - claimed religion and politics should be kept separate, and slammed the lack of notice as "discourteous."

He said: "This situation put everyone - including the public - in an awkward situation. I have no objection to people praying but people have different faiths and some don't follow a faith at all. There's a time for prayer but that's in a religious setting. We are there to do the business of the town.

"The County Council has brought in prayers in chambers before the day's business starts and I think she would be better doing something like that."

One-time sparring partner Graeme White welcomed the news, claiming prayers were an essential part of an "atmosphere of decorum" in council.

Mayor Pam Brown - who was also Liberal Democrat leader in 1998 - claimed the previous absence of prayers was "a gap that needed to be filled", arguing they served both a ceremonial and spiritual purpose. She said: "I'm not ashamed to say that I feel there's something lacking if I haven't got guidance from the faith sector.

"There was supposed to be a letter to councillors explaining what was going to happen and that never went out. I understand some people were put in an invidious position. But it's my right to say I want a chaplain to be restored.

Prayers will now be conducted at all council meetings, with plans for a number of faiths to be represented in turn.