A city's new Lord Mayor has banned Christian prayers at the start of council meetings, branding the practice "outdated, unnecessary and intrusive".Colin Hall, the new Lord Mayor of Leicester, said religion has no role to play in the conduct of council business.
Prayers have been said before Leicester City Council meetings since 1997, apart from 2005-06 when another mayor discontinued them.
Writing in this month's edition of the Leicester Secularist - the journal of the city's Secular Society - Mr Hall, who will serve as Lord Mayor for the 2010-11 municipal year, said he is also abolishing the practice.
He wrote: "Contrary to the myths that certain organisations like to promote, the practice of observing prayers at the start of council meetings is a relatively recent one. During my first spell as a council member between 1991 and 1996 I cannot recall a single meeting where prayers were said.
"However, they were introduced in 1997 and have remained in place more or less ever since, apart from 2005-06 when Councillor Mary Draycott, to her credit, discontinued them for her year of office.
"I am delighted to confirm that I too will be exercising my discretion as Lord Mayor to abolish the outdated, unnecessary and intrusive practice.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."
Mr Hall said he is sure his position will be "positively received" by both council colleagues and the public.
SIC: BT