Leicester Council bans prayers at Council meetings

Leicester City Council has followed Enfield in scrapping prayers at the start of Council meetings.

Cllr Colin Hall, a Labour councillor and the Lord Mayor of Leicester says:

"I am delighted to confirm that I will be exercising my discretion as Lord Mayor to abolish the outdated, unnecessary and intrusive practice.

"I personally consider that religion, in whatever shape or form, has no role to play at all in the conduct of council business.

"This particularly applies in Leicester where the majority of council members, myself included, do not regularly attend any particular faith service."