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February 18th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda
By
Tim Shipman, Deputy Political Editor
Last updated at 2:04 AM on 18th February 2012
Heavens above: Eric Pickles signed an order giving local authorities the right to maintain the tradition of saying prayers at meetings
Town hall chiefs have been handed the power to hold prayers at the start of council meetings in defiance of the courts.
Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles yesterday signed an order giving local authorities the right to maintain the centuries-old tradition.
He stepped in after the High Court last week backed a controversial campaign to abolish acts of worship during town hall meetings.
Christians and politicians reacted with dismay after a judge banned a council in Devon from putting prayers on the formal agenda. Atheist former councillor Clive Bone started the case against Bideford Town Council in July 2010, claiming he had been ‘disadvantaged and embarrassed’ when prayers were recited.
However, Mr Pickles signed a Parliamentary Order yesterday that should render the judgment irrelevant and protect the freedom for councils to pray.
He said the Government’s Localism Act allows councils to do anything an individual can unless specifically prohibited by law.
The right to pray can be exercised by major local authorities in England from today, and by parish councils by the end of March.
Mr Pickles said reversing the ‘illiberal ruling’ was a victory for ‘localism over central interference’ and ‘freedom to worship over intolerant secularism’.
Prime Minister David Cameron has urged people to remember that the UK is a Christian nation and Tory Party Chairman Sayeeda Warsi gave a speech at the Vatican this week saying Europe should speak up for Christianity. The Queen also voiced her most outspoken and personal defence of faith this week.
Support: David Cameron has urged people to remember the UK’s Christian roots
The intervention is also part of a simmering row between politicians and the judiciary over so-called ‘judicial activism’.
Ministers have grown increasingly frustrated by judges over interpreting the law to deliver verdicts which are widely regarded as lacking common sense.
Judges are widely accused of seeking to make law themselves in areas like human rights legislation.
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What on earth has God got to do with Council meetings – if they can’t manage to empty the rubbish themselves do they expect the divine to intervene with the wheely bin?
Pray if you must but do it in church.
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The big question is ‘did the ban only apply to Christian worship’? I should imaging other Religions might also want to pray before getting on with the agenda.
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Well done Eric! At lest we have one sensible MP acting in the interests of British voters.
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But they already have this right! All the court judgement did was clarify that prayers could not be part of a formal agenda so that people could choose to pray (at the start of the meeting before the agenda items) or not to pray (and not be recorded as having arrived late because of that). The court judgement would seem a sensible compromise in a multi faith community like the UK.
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Pickles for PM…Eric Pickles is every single labour councils worst nightmare and good on him
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Good for him ,its amazing how quickly Ministers can react . It was totally wrong that one fanatic could change something that the majority both in his local Council and nationally would want to continue. We, however , see this every day where liberal left wingers win the argument because the silent majority are too polite to argue their case with the strength and fanaticism of the tiny minority
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WELL DONE ERIC PICKLES,THANK YOU. SHAME LAMBETH PALACE WEREN’T SO ACTIVE!
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Well done and thank you Eric Pickles,as usual we could not rely on any help from Lambeth Palace!
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Well done and Thank You Eric Pickles
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I wonder what its like to live in the same world as the Judges.
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