The Commons would be lessened without its daily prayers, says Speaker’s chaplain

Parliament would be lessened if it did not open each day with Christian prayers, the chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons has said.

The Venerable Tricia Hillas starts daily Commons sessions with a set of Christian prayers.

The senior Church of England clergywoman and Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle kneel together as she leads MPs in three prayers, including a specific prayer for Parliament that asks for political leaders to “never lead the nation wrongly through love of power, desire to please, or unworthy ideals”.

The public and journalists are not permitted into the chamber while the prayers are in progress.

Opponents have argued against the tradition, which is thought to have roots stretching back almost 500 years, with the likes of the National Secular Society and Humanists UK calling for it to be ditched or replaced with a “time for reflection”.

But Mrs Hillas said MPs have told her how much they appreciate the day starting with a prayerful moment.

Asked during an interview with PA news agency whether she thought Parliament would lose anything if the traditional start was abolished, she said: “I think we would — and people tell me that we would.

“The thing that people talk about most is, when there is so much demand on people and there is very little time for pause, that in itself, no matter actually what faith someone is — people of a range of faiths have argued for this — that actually having that moment is really significant, before the hustle and bustle.

“And actually, as I come out (of the chamber), often people will say ‘Thank you for that’ or ‘Thank you for that piece of scripture’, which is quite remarkable.”

MPs have been known to attend prayers as it allows them to reserve a decent seat on the green benches for the rest of the day by laying a prayer card down.

But Mrs Hillas said that is not the only reason why elected representatives arrive before the regular proceedings kick-off.

“Through the week, sometimes there is plenty of space in the chamber, so they are not just there to ‘mark their card’,” she said.

“But I’m not unaware that on a Wednesday, it is a good way to not only hope you might get a ticket for the pearly gates, but you might get in for PMQs (Prime Minister’s Questions) — I’m not naive.”

The daily ceremony has a three-prayer structure but the chaplain — who took up the post in 2020, replacing the Right Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin after she became Bishop of Dover — will adapt the readings for certain occasions or sombre moments.

She led specially written prayers in the Commons after Sir David Amess MP was murdered in his Southend West constituency in October 2021.

But there is also the chance to make light of situations during the prayers, she said — including the Palace of Westminster’s physical deterioration.

On July 11 last year, the Commons sitting was delayed for an hour due to water pouring through the chamber ceiling.

Mrs Hillas said: “I just thought, ‘Oh, this is really quite funny’.

“So I chose a psalm which began with ‘The waters have risen, O Lord’.

“Because people weren’t expecting me to make a joke, they were just listening very politely before going ‘Oh, hang on!’.

“It was a lovely way of going, actually this has been a bit of a difficult start for everybody’s morning, so let’s (pray) but do it in a way that lifts the spirit a bit.”

Mrs Hillas, the 80th chaplain to the Commons Speaker, was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to an Indian mother and a British father, and moved with her family to the UK in 1971 when she was a child.

She worked as a youth and social worker before being ordained in 2002.

A former canon pastor at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, the married clergywoman, in addition to her role in Parliament, is a canon and archdeacon of Westminster.

As Speaker’s chaplain, as well as leading the Commons prayers, she conducts religious services — including weddings and baptisms — in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, situated under Parliament’s medieval Westminster Hall, and provides pastoral care to staff on the estate.

Part of that involves being a listening ear for MPs facing tough decisions, including ahead of the vote last month on whether to back a motion calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Mrs Hillas said politicians might seek her out in the chapel or look to have a conversation over a cup of coffee on such high profile matters.

“It is not so much that people will say, ‘I’m struggling, how should I vote?’. That is not what I talk with them about,” she continues.

“It is more about (saying), how will you be resourced? How are you going to hold this complex demand? That is more the sort of engagement I would have.”

Parliament has been dealing with its own struggle in recent years to reform its culture following the so-called “Pestminster” scandal, in which allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour have been made against MPs or other senior figures.

There is an open door policy for anyone impacted by those alleged incidents, Mrs Hillas said.

Those conversations are confidential and, if she has concerns, will “signpost” people to “formal support” they can access.

She said she recognises that Parliament faces a “challenge” to ensure there is a safe work culture.

“I think like any organisation, Parliament is working really hard on it. I know that Mr Speaker has made that a significant priority,” the chaplain said.

“I’ve observed that consistently from the time I arrived. I think the determination is very strong. It is a challenge, as it is in many organisations.”