Councillors in Bolton are set to debate ending the tradition of saying prayers at the start of council meetings.
Reform UK, who have 10 members on Bolton’s 60-strong council, have put forward a motion for debate by the council at its meeting on June 24.
The first motion by Reform cllrs in Bolton is a call to stop prayers
In the first such motion produced by the party, the leader of the group Coun Trevor Jones has asked the council to review the practice of including prayers as part of the formal proceedings of full council meetings.
For several decades, meetings have begun with a short prayer, read by the mayor’s chaplain during which councillors, officers and observers are invited to stand.
The Reform motion states:
This request is not directed towards any individual, any faith group, or any religious tradition.
I fully support the right of every councillor and resident to hold, express and practise their religious belief equally,
I support the rights of those who hold no religious belief.
The concerns relate solely to the role of the council as a public authority representing the whole community.
In such a diverse society, it is increasingly difficult for any single religious observance to reflect the convictions of all councillors and residents.
I believe there is an important distinction between individual religious practice and the formal conduct of council business.
Council meetings are civic and democratic proceedings.
They are the forum in which elected representatives come together to scrutinise decisions, debate policy and make choices on behalf of all residents.
For that reason, I believe the formal proceedings of the council should be conducted in a manner that is religiously neutral while remaining respectful of all faiths and beliefs.
Prayers are a civic tradition of Bolton Council
Ahead of the meeting, Bolton council’s leader Labour’s Akhtar Zaman, defended the tradition.
He said:
They are attacking one of the civic traditions of this council.
We have motions this week on a number of issues that concern the lives and welfare of our people, and what do we get from Reform?
Banning prayers at the start of meetings. What a ridiculous opening shot by Reform Bolton.
Conservative councillor and the mayor of Bolton for 2024/25, Andy Morgan also questioned the motion.
He said:
Motions brought before the council should be about improving life for our residents, strengthening our communities, and helping move our borough forward.
Bolton has always been strongest when we focus on what unites us, respect, community spirit, and a determination to make our borough a better place for everyone.
I hope councillors from across the chamber carefully consider the impact of this motion and ultimately reject it.
Reform councillor suggests either just silence or prayers before the meetings start
Coun Jones’ motion suggests two possible alternatives to the current situation by either by replacing prayers within the formal meeting with a short period of silent reflection or moving prayers or religious observance to a voluntary session immediately prior to the formal commencement of council meetings.
The motion is on the agenda for the full council meeting on June 24.
Based on a press release by Local Democracy Reporter Chris Gee.
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