The Mayor of North East Lincolnshire has defended the decision to no longer say a prayer before council meetings.
It follows a heated social media debate, with councillors and residents clashing over whether the tradition should be scrapped.
Councillor Janet Goodwin, Mayor of North East Lincolnshire, said that she has now chosen to provide a moment of reflection for those in council meetings, rather than saying traditional prayers.
Speaking to Gi Grimsby News, she said: “As the Mayor of North East Lincolnshire, I want all communities of our borough to feel welcome, and indeed, that’s the theme of my year – making sure that those hard to reach communities know that they are listened to and feel part of our deliberations in the Council chamber.
“As is traditional at the start of each Council session, I call for people to pause for a moment and reflect on their work, and their day, and to bring that learning and self awareness into the discussions.
“Some Mayors have chosen to have that as a moment of prayer, I call for a moment of reflection. The purpose is the same – to give time for Councillors to remember that we are representing our communities and that everybody within those communities has an equal voice.”
Councillor Jackson, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council said: “It is a matter for each individual Mayor the approach they want to take to prayers at the start of the meeting, and I respect their choice.”
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