Pickles on Britishness - condemning hate merchants of the UAF and the EDL

The Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles gave a speech recently on Britishness.

Mr Pickles noted that the challenges to British values come from different places:

"Here in Britain tolerance, decency and respect for others are embedded deep within our psyche. Our warmth and hospitality, our willingness to welcome other views and embrace other ways of life are what has made Britain a beacon of hope around the world. Now a few voices from the fringes try and challenge those values:

• Whether Islamist preachers of hate peddling a twisted and distorted version of a peaceful faith
• Or whether malicious trouble makers on the far left - a rent-a-mob only interested in stirring up trouble
• Or those on the far-right who try and claim that being a Muslim and being British are incompatible

Each in their own way attempting to corrode and destroy from within with lies, aggression and violence.

These purveyors of hatred are anti-British. 

Councils in Wales should have freedom of worship too

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has speeded along implementation of the Localism Act to ensure that councils in England are allowed to say prayers at the  start of their meetings. But Eric's writ does not run in Wales. So we are in the situation where councils hold prayers at the start of their meetings in England, but not in Wales.

The High Court judgment banning council prayers related to Section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972 which applies to England and Wales. Post-devolution, the Welsh Assembly has the competence to legislate in this area. The Localism Act 2011 which has introduced the general power of competence in England could have been applied to Wales, yet the Labour-run Welsh Assembly Government refused the Coalition Government’s offer for the Act to include Wales (because, I suspect, the Welsh Assembly Government doesn’t really like devolving power to councils…).

But the National Assembly for Wales does have the power to legislate in this area. The ban of prayers can be stopped if the National Assembly wish it.

Janet Finch-Saunders AM, The Conservatives Shadow Minister for Local Government, said:

Pickles overturns ban on prayers

Added at 8pm on Sunday, Pickles video:

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Eric Pickles has written to councils to confirm that the general power of competence in the Localism Act includes the legal right to say prayers at the start of their meetings. This guidance is felt to effectively overturn the court ban on prayers last week. Remember you read it first here.

Eric says:

“Last week’s case should be seen as a wake-up call.

“For too long, the public sector has been used to marginalise and attack faith in public life, undermining the very foundations of the British nation. But this week, the tables have been turned.

“We are striking a blow for localism over central interference, for freedom to worship over intolerant secularism, for Parliamentary sovereignty over judicial activism, and for long-standing British liberties over modern-day political correctness.”

Government will ensure ban on prayers at council meetings is overturned

A court ruling has declared the practice of saying prayers at the start of Council meetings to be unlawful.

After a legal challenge brought by Clive Bone to Bideford Town Council, Mr Justice Ouseley ruled:

''The saying of prayers as part of the formal meeting of a council is not lawful under section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972, and there is no statutory power permitting the practice to continue.''

The logic of the ruling seems to be that saying prayers is not necessary for a council to fulfil its statutory requirements and therefore not something a council has the legal power to undertake. But the Government believe the ruling has failed to take into account the Localism Act, which supersedes the Local Government Act. The Localism Act provides a general power of competence. In any event my understanding is that if necessary the Government will bring in whatever legal clarification might be needed to ensure prayers can take place. The principle is important. What would stop a group of republicans challenging a council from celebrating the Diamond Jubillee?

Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government said:

Bradford Council "Islamaphobic" leaflet should be binned

Bradford Council has issued a leaflet encouraging residents not to drop litter, targeted specifically at Muslims. Pretty extraordinary. Does the Labour-run Council think that Muslims are more likely to drop litter than the rest of us? Or that Christianity doesn't include enough anti litter messages for Christians to have their own anti litter leaflet.

Cllr John Robertshaw, a Conservative councillor and Chairman of the Social Care Overview & Scrutiny Committee says:

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."

Mayor of Nuneaton turned down judging "evil" pumpkin contest

When I was child my parents used the excuse of not bothering with Halloween festivities on the grounds that it was "an American thing" - as if they had invented it. I make some effort for my own children but Cllr Tom Wilson and Cllr Sonja Wilson, Conservative councillors on Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, and currently the Mayor of Mayoress, would not approve. 

They have refused to judge a pumpkin contest on the grounds the whole thing glamourises evil. Cllr Sonja Wilson said:

"We feel strongly about the potential dangers of letting youngsters become involved in it. We never encouraged our own children to join any Halloween activities because it's unhealthy. The Bible says not to believe in other idols and Halloween is all about promoting Satan. There is a risk that it could lead to other things like an interest in the occult and witchcraft – it's like encouraging young people to drink beer."

The deputy mayor, Councillor Clive Stringer, also a Consrevative councillor, stepped in to perform the civic duty. He said:

"As far as I'm concerned it's just a bit of fun for the kids. I was brought up as a Christian but I don't see anything wrong with children dressing up as witches and wizards and making faces out of pumpkins."

Although I'm with Cllr Stringer it is entirely admirable that Cllrs Tom and Sonja Wilson have stuck to their principles.

DCLG cash intended for faith groups given to atheists

The Conservatives have established that taxpayers' money earmarked for faith communities has been given to a group which promotes atheism.

It turns out that Hazel Blears's Department for Communities and Local Government has granted no less than £25,000 of its "Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund" to the British Humanist Association, which not only promotes atheism, but actively campaigns against public money being given to faith groups which provide or support local and community services.

An answer to a parliamentary question has also revealed that the BHA has received a further £35,000 from the Equality and Human Rights Commission to to deliver "increased understanding of issues of religion or belief in the context of equality and human rights within the voluntary sector, media and general public".  

Shadow DCLG secretary Caroline Spelman is seething:

“There is a clear agenda to twist so-called equality and human rights. It is wrong that taxpayers’ money is being used to bully town halls into axing funding for Christian faith groups. It is scandalous that Government cash is being used to train a cadre of ‘local authority equality officers’.

“People of all faiths in our country have a right to pursue that faith without taxpayers' money being used to marginalise them”

The story is covered in this morning's Daily Mail.

Jonathan Isaby