Say A Little Prayer

I take my hat off to the National Secular Society (NSS) - which won a test case yesterday in the High Court in England - over prayers being said routinely as part of  official council meetings.

Now I know a few councils and councillors that could do with a few prayers being said - begging for forgiveness and redemption - over their scandalous behaviour on equal pay.

Some deserve to be down on their knees confessing their sins - if there was any  justice in the world.

But to be honest Glasgow City Council and some other councils in Scotland have enough on their plates - without bringing religion and prayers into the mix.

Anyhow the English council at the centre of this pantomime is Bideford Town Council - in sunny Devon.

And the court ruled that saying prayers as part of the official council agenda is unlawful - under  the 1972 Local Government Act.

Now that seems eminently sensible to me - I have to say.

Because if you want to say prayers, then why not go to church - or start your own (voluntary) prayer group?

What I don't follow is why anyone would insist on starting off each and every council meeting - by communing with God.

Now lots of council meetings I've attended could do with a bit of divine intervention - they can be very dreary affairs to be fair.

And some council leaders I've met believe they are infallible - that they can walk on water - but they're completely deluded of course.

The councillor who objected to the practice in Bideford Town Council - Councillor Bone - said he was disadvantaged and embarrassed by the practice-  of starting every meeting with solemn prayers.

As a non-believer he was clearly unable to join in with the rest of his colleagues.

Quite how this matter ever got to court is beyond me - the council leaders involved should be ashamed of themselves - for wasting public money on such a ridiculous issue.

In fact they should be surcharged - and forced to pay the court costs from their own pockets.

In the meantime, back in Scotland the Labour Group in Glasgow City Council might be tempted to start saying a few prayers - the way things are going.

Because if the Labour Group continues to self-destruct - they'll need more than a few Hail Marys to hold on to Scotland's largest council - in the May local elections.