Outrage as chaplain inserts prayer for ‘Gaza’ into morning parliamentary prayers

By SABRINA MILLER and BRENDAN CARLIN

Published: 19:41 BST, 4 June 2025 | Updated: 19:58 BST, 4 June 2025

Politicians have expressed their outrage after the speaker’s chaplain inserted a prayer for ‘Gaza’ in the morning parliamentary religious service, yesterday morning.

Last night, MPs and Lords voiced their protests – with one accusing him the chaplain of ‘lacking balance’ and another of ‘sucking up to left-wing Labour MPs’ following his ‘unprecedented’ intervention during daily prayers.

The chaplain’s controversial reference came in the Commons’ daily private session of Christian prayers before the start of proceedings yesterday, held in private with Press and public excluded.

But MPs told the Daily Mail that Reverend Mark Birch took them by surprise after telling an almost two-thirds full Commons Chamber ‘we pray for the United Kingdom and Gaza’ shortly before the start of PMQs.

Sources say the Chaplain has now privately apologised to some of the MPs who were in attendance.

Meanwhile a spokesperson for the House of Common has insisted that the Chaplain ‘would never want to cause any offence’ but that sometimes ‘international issues’ are referenced during services.

The controversial prayer came on the day that former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn demanded a full-scale inquiry into the UK’s involvement in Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza.

Outside the Palace of Westminster that same day, protesters had formed a human chain while demanding immediate sanctions against Israel and a complete halt to arms exports.

Protesters wave Palestinian flags and chant slogans outside the Palace of Westminster

Politicians have expressed their outrage after the speaker’s chaplain inserted a prayer for ‘Gaza’ in the morning parliamentary religious service

A protester shows a satirical drawing of Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer reading the message “Let them eat bombs” as he poses on Westminster Bridge in front of the Elizabeth Tower, commonly known by the name of the clock’s bell “Big Ben”, at the Palace of Westminster, home to the Houses of Parliament

One Labour MP privately voiced surprise at the ‘lack of balance’ in the plea, saying: ‘There was a reference to Gaza by the Speaker’s Chaplain but not to Israel and the hostages.’

Meanwhile one Conservative MP accused the Chaplain of ‘sucking up to Left-wing Labour MPs.’

Another veteran Tory MP added: ‘I cannot remember any time in the past when this has happened.

‘The reaction on both sides of the Chamber was – hang on a minute – what about the poor people of Ukraine?

‘What about the 600,000 people in Darfur who are dying of famine?’

Another MP said: ‘Of course, the position in Gaza is pretty ghastly.

‘But the general view across the Chamber was that it was most unwise to single out Gaza in that way and smacks of sucking up to Left-wing Labour MPs.’

Pro Palestine and Israel supporters wave flags as they face each other in in Parliament square during an Emergency demonstration for Palestine calling on the UK government to stop arming Israel

The chaplain’s controversial reference came in the Commons’ daily private session of Christian prayers before the start of proceedings yesterday, held in private with Press and public excluded.

Last night, one Commons insider said the Chaplain’s words were ‘not vetted’ before he delivered them and suggested he had gone ‘off script’.

Lord Stuart Polack described the intervention as ‘deeply inappropriate, considering the neutrality of the Speaker’s office.’

Labour peer Lord Mann, the Government’s independent advisor on anti-Semitism, added: ‘We should be praying for everyone at parliamentary prayers.’

A spokesperson for the House of Commons said: ‘The Speaker does not in any way determine the content of prayers.

‘Chaplains have on occasion referred to a range of significant international issues during prayers in the words they choose to use, however, the Chaplain would never want to cause any offence during prayers.’

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Outrage as chaplain inserts prayer for ‘Gaza’ into morning parliamentary prayers

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