{"links":{"self":"https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/770529.json"},"data":{"type":"petition","id":770529,"attributes":{"action":"Ban councils from having prayers as part of formal meetings","background":"Ban local authorities from having prayers as part of the agenda for their formal meetings.","additional_details":"We believe that there is a very worrying trend of councils passing rules making saying prayers part of formal council meetings. We are a country where we respect the freedom of religion, and we believe that forcing others to passively participate in one religion's traditions is absolutely contrary to the free choice of religion. We believe it is exclusionary to anyone not following that faith, which is a growing proportion of the country, to require there to be prayers during a council meeting.","committee_note":"","state":"open","signature_count":37,"closing_date":"2026-12-19","created_at":"2026-05-22T07:51:19.733Z","updated_at":"2026-06-21T18:45:50.000Z","rejected_at":null,"opened_at":"2026-06-19T14:35:36.892Z","closed_at":null,"moderation_threshold_reached_at":"2026-05-25T08:02:40.000Z","response_threshold_reached_at":null,"government_response_at":null,"debate_threshold_reached_at":null,"debate_scheduled_on":null,"scheduled_debate_date":null,"debate_outcome_at":null,"creator_name":"Ian Rex-Hawkes","rejection":null,"government_response":null,"debate":null,"departments":[{"acronym":"LHOC","name":"Office of the Leader of the House of Commons","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/the-office-of-the-leader-of-the-house-of-commons"}],"topics":[],"signatures_by_country":[{"name":"United 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