ON THE first day that the House of Commons met following the 1997 election, so I’m told, the press were let into their gallery above the chamber too soon, and were able to witness, for the first time ever, the tradition of MPs at prayer.

Every day, at the very start of each sessions, the Speaker arrives in the chamber and is welcomed by all members present with some solemn bows. The Speaker’s chaplain then proceeds to read a formal prayer, lasting about three minutes. Now here’s the thing: the only way you can reserve your seat for the rest of the day’s proceedings is to put down a green “prayer card” in your place before the House sits. Then, provided you’re present during prayers, the seat is, theoretically at least, yours for the rest of the day and other members should (but don’t always) respect that.

But what if you’re not a Christian? Why should an atheist or Jew or Muslim have to sit through an act of Christian worship just to secure a seat? 

There are an increasing number of members who perform a small daily act of defiance at this tradition. They stand with the rest of us and nod to the Speaker as he passes. But as soon as the chaplain starts his prayer, these rebellious souls ostentatiously sit down while the rest of us remain standing to pray. It’s not up to me to name these individuals, but this morning I couldn’t help noticing that them LibDems are a surprisingly godless lot…

No doubt this is yet another tradition that the “modernisers” would like to dispense with on the basis that if it can’t include everyone then it shouldn’t include anyone. Yet the rebels have started their own tradition with their sit down protest. That’s the way these traditions should change — gradually through evolution, not instantaneously following a resolution of the House, which has been, lamentably, the practice so often in the past.