Petition · past parliament · Office of the Leader of the House of Commons
End the use of Prayer Cards to reserve seats in the House of Commons.
Closed
37 signatures
What the petition asks
Prayer Cards are obtained by MPs at the Christian Prayers that begin each sitting in both houses of Parliament since the reign of Charles II in the 17th Century. In our diverse society with citizens of many faiths and none, this is undemocratic and outdated.
As there are only 427 seats for 650 MPs, and given the rules about where MPs have to be in order to be seen by the Speaker and allowed to contribute, this practice excludes non-Christians from the day's debates.
This is undemocratic and disrespectful of Members of Parliament with different religious and spiritual practices, as well as Humanists and Atheists. Nor does not it represent the rich diversity of the citizens of the UK: equality of representation is the basis of a good fair democracy.
This is undemocratic and disrespectful of Members of Parliament with different religious and spiritual practices, as well as Humanists and Atheists. Nor does not it represent the rich diversity of the citizens of the UK: equality of representation is the basis of a good fair democracy.
Timeline
| 4 Mar 2022 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 4 Sep 2022 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
37
Status
Closed
Department
Office of the Leader of the House of Commons
Opened
4 Mar 2022
Closed
4 Sep 2022
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.