By . Simon Walters and Brendan Carlin . UPDATED: . 19:44 EST, 11 February 2012 . Speaker John Bercow was forced to act yesterday to head off a threat to the Commons’ daily prayer session. He insisted that parliamentary privilege means MPs’ prayers will not be affected by a controversial court ruling to outlaw them in a town hall. But the current system of daily prayers faces a growing threat from some MPs – including atheists who take part in a ‘sit-down protest’ at each session they attend. No plan for any review of Commons prayers: John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons and Speaker's Chaplain The Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin . While most MPs stand to pray, the rebels remain seated and refuse to join in when prayers are conducted by Commons chaplain, the Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin. The prayer sessions are held in private, with the proceedings never publicly revealed. But yesterday, Liberal Democrat Jo Swinson, an aide to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who is himself an atheist, admitted she always stayed seated. She said: ‘I sit down during prayers because I don’t believe in God. It’s as simple as that.’ Ms Swinson insisted that her objection to the current system was because MPs had to attend prayers if they wanted to reserve a seat for the following Commons proceedings. ‘If you don’t turn up to prayers, you haven’t reserved a seat,’ said Ms Swinson. But she also suggested that the current rituals should also be changed to allow other faiths to be represented. Atheists: Jo Swinson, left, an aide to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, and Chloe Smith, Tory Treasury Minister, have both revealed they remain seated for prayers . Another atheist MP, Tory Treasury Minister Chloe Smith, broke with convention by refusing to swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen on the Bible when she entered the Commons in 2009. Instead, she made a non-religious ‘solemn affirmation’ – though there is no suggestion Ms Smith wants to end Commons prayers. 'Semi-observant Christian': Jo Johnson, the MP brother of London Mayor Boris, says he wants prayers scrapped . But Tory MP Jo Johnson, the brother of London Mayor Boris, echoed Ms Swinson’s call for changes. Mr Johnson is on record as saying that the prayer sessions in the Commons Chamber itself should be scrapped and moved elsewhere – such as the Commons chapel. However, Mr Johnson, who described himself as a ‘semi-observant Christian’, also said yesterday that his main objection was that MPs had to attend prayers to reserve a seat. But Mr Bercow yesterday insisted the ruling by a High Court judge banning prayers recited before meetings of Bideford Town Council in Devon would not affect the Commons. A spokesman for the Speaker said: ‘Under the Bill of Rights 1689, the Commons has the right to decide on its own processes and procedures. ‘It says, “The freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament.” ’ There was no plan for any review of Commons prayers, the Speaker’s spokesman added. Last night, David Cameron also entered the row by insisting the prayer sessions had to stay. A No 10 source said: ‘The Prime Minister thinks that the prayer sessions are very important and that we should keep them.’ And Conservative MP Bill Cash said: ‘The Bideford ruling is bizarre and perverse and sends the message that secularism reigns supreme.’ 'Stand up for our Christian values': Tory MP Mark Pritchard, left, and Labour MP David Lammy, right, both say the tradition of prayer should be preserved . He was supported by fellow Conservative Mark Pritchard, who said: ‘This is more evidence of rising Christianophobia. ‘Fundamentalist atheists are zealots in seeking to untie the Judeo-Christian cords that have bound this nation together for centuries. 'If the courts, bishops and Parliament fail to stand up for our Christian traditions, then extremists parties, for their own divisive and sinister ends, will.’ Labour MP David Lammy also backed the right of councils and the Commons to ‘gather for pray’. Mr Lammy said: ‘I do worry about an aggressive secularism that is drowning out the ability of people of faith to live with that faith.’
Bill Of Rights guarantees Parliament's tradition .
Comes after prayer was banned from council meetings .
Commons rebels remain seated while others pray .
By . Simon Walters and Brendan Carlin . UPDATED: . 19:44 EST, 11 February 2012 . Speaker John Bercow was forced to act yesterday to head off a threat to the Commons’ daily prayer session. He insisted that parliamentary privilege means MPs’ prayers will not be affected by a controversial court ruling to outlaw them in a town hall. But the current system of daily prayers faces a growing threat from some MPs – including atheists who take part in a ‘sit-down protest’ at each session they attend. No plan for any review of Commons prayers: John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons and Speaker's Chaplain The Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin . While most MPs stand to pray, the rebels remain seated and refuse to join in when prayers are conducted by Commons chaplain, the Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin. The prayer sessions are held in private, with the proceedings never publicly revealed. But yesterday, Liberal Democrat Jo Swinson, an aide to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who is himself an atheist, admitted she always stayed seated. She said: ‘I sit down during prayers because I don’t believe in God. It’s as simple as that.’ Ms Swinson insisted that her objection to the current system was because MPs had to attend prayers if they wanted to reserve a seat for the following Commons proceedings. ‘If you don’t turn up to prayers, you haven’t reserved a seat,’ said Ms Swinson. But she also suggested that the current rituals should also be changed to allow other faiths to be represented. Atheists: Jo Swinson, left, an aide to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, and Chloe Smith, Tory Treasury Minister, have both revealed they remain seated for prayers . Another atheist MP, Tory Treasury Minister Chloe Smith, broke with convention by refusing to swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen on the Bible when she entered the Commons in 2009. Instead, she made a non-religious ‘solemn affirmation’ – though there is no suggestion Ms Smith wants to end Commons prayers. 'Semi-observant Christian': Jo Johnson, the MP brother of London Mayor Boris, says he wants prayers scrapped . But Tory MP Jo Johnson, the brother of London Mayor Boris, echoed Ms Swinson’s call for changes. Mr Johnson is on record as saying that the prayer sessions in the Commons Chamber itself should be scrapped and moved elsewhere – such as the Commons chapel. However, Mr Johnson, who described himself as a ‘semi-observant Christian’, also said yesterday that his main objection was that MPs had to attend prayers to reserve a seat. But Mr Bercow yesterday insisted the ruling by a High Court judge banning prayers recited before meetings of Bideford Town Council in Devon would not affect the Commons. A spokesman for the Speaker said: ‘Under the Bill of Rights 1689, the Commons has the right to decide on its own processes and procedures. ‘It says, “The freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament.” ’ There was no plan for any review of Commons prayers, the Speaker’s spokesman added. Last night, David Cameron also entered the row by insisting the prayer sessions had to stay. A No 10 source said: ‘The Prime Minister thinks that the prayer sessions are very important and that we should keep them.’ And Conservative MP Bill Cash said: ‘The Bideford ruling is bizarre and perverse and sends the message that secularism reigns supreme.’ 'Stand up for our Christian values': Tory MP Mark Pritchard, left, and Labour MP David Lammy, right, both say the tradition of prayer should be preserved . He was supported by fellow Conservative Mark Pritchard, who said: ‘This is more evidence of rising Christianophobia. ‘Fundamentalist atheists are zealots in seeking to untie the Judeo-Christian cords that have bound this nation together for centuries. 'If the courts, bishops and Parliament fail to stand up for our Christian traditions, then extremists parties, for their own divisive and sinister ends, will.’ Labour MP David Lammy also backed the right of councils and the Commons to ‘gather for pray’. Mr Lammy said: ‘I do worry about an aggressive secularism that is drowning out the ability of people of faith to live with that faith.’
rebels remain seated and refuse to join in when ‘Under the Bill of Rights 1689, the Commons has right, both say the tradition of prayer should be