An unholy row has erupted at Westminster over claims new Liberal Democrat MPs ‘fiddle with their phones’ while other politicians pray.
In a hallowed tradition dating back to the 16th-century, each Commons sitting starts with private prayers read by the Speaker’s Chaplain.
By custom and practice, MPs on both sides of the Chamber turn to the wall during the short service.
But sources say the some of the new crop of MPs for the Lib Dems stay seated, staring at and ‘fiddling with’ their mobile phones.
Last night, senior Tory MP Sir John Hayes told the Mail on Sunday: ‘It’s hard to believe that even the Lib Dems would be so impolite and disrespectful. So one has to attribute this to ignorance.
‘By and large with Lib Dems, they are more crass than wicked.’
But a Lib Dem spokesperson accused Sir John of ‘petty political point-scoring’.
He said: ‘It is sad to see this great Parliamentary tradition dragged through the mud by a Conservative MP.
‘The Lib Dems are home to many practising Christian MPs, not least our party leader [Sir Ed Davey].
The practice of saying prayers before each day’s sitting is understood to have originated in 1558, with the present form probably dating from the reign of Charles II.
The House of Lords always starts each day with prayers.
According to the Parliament website, both readings ‘follow the Christian faith and there is currently no multi-faith element’.
Attendance at prayers is voluntary for both MPs and peers.
But members of the public are not allowed into the public galleries to witness the prayers.
The practice of MPs and peers turning to the wall behind during the readings is thought to derive from the difficulty they would have had in past centuries of kneeling to pray while wearing a sword.
The form of the main prayer read out in the Commons is as follows: ‘Lord, the God of righteousness and truth, grant to our King and his government, to Members of Parliament and all in positions of responsibility, the guidance of your Spirit.
‘May they never lead the nation wrongly through love of power, desire to please, or unworthy ideals but laying aside all private interests and prejudices keep in mind their responsibility to seek to improve the condition of all mankind; so may your kingdom come and your name be hallowed. Amen.’