𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Furious Reform councillors have demanded that “only the English language should be used in public meetings” after an Islamic prayer was read out at a key meeting. An imam gave a 30-second sermon in Arabic at Birmingham City Council. Reform, which became the largest party in Birmingham in May’s local elections, said the city is a “diverse city made up of many different faiths and backgrounds”.

But Nigel Farage’s 23 councillors said “official council meetings should remain inclusive and accessible to all residents regardless of religion or culture” – and all readings and proceedings should be in English. They said it was “inappropriate” for any readings to be in a language “many residents do not understand”. The comments sparked an angry political row, with Reform’s critics calling the demand “deeply unfortunate “.

Councillor Jex Parkin, the Reform group leader, said they “respect the personal faith and beliefs of the Lord Mayor and all communities across Birmingham”.

Parkin said: “It’s clear only the English language should be used in public meetings in this country. We will always advocate for this, on behalf of the residents that elected us to promote and protect the language, culture and values of the United Kingdom.

“We look forward to supporting the Lord Mayor in his new role and trust this feedback will be accepted with the good faith in which it is offered. Clearly, many residents share our view.”

The short Islamic reading cited was translated into English afterwards.

Imam Mohammed Abdali was invited to say a brief prayer and quoted from Chapter 5, Verse 2 of the Qu’ran, the holy book of Islam. He said was a verse that reminded everyone of how we should ‘live together in harmony and cooperation, in a spirit of goodness and righteousness’.

Reform’s insistence on “English only” sparked fury amongst opposition politicians.

Local politics in Birmingham were plunged into chaos after no single party won enough seats to secure power.

As it stands, Reform has 23 councillors, followed by the Greens at 19, Labour at 17, Conservatives at 16, pro-Gaza independents and the closely aligned Workers Party at 14 and Liberal Democrats at 12. The Labour council leader John Cotton was among those to lose their seat.

Many observers fear the makeup could see the council grind to a halt.

Labour’s Councillor Majid Mahmood told the Lord Mayor: “Our diversity is not something to be tolerated, it is one of Birmingham’s greatest strengths.

“To suggest only English should be heard in civic spaces risks sending a deeply unfortunate message to many communities who have contributed enormously to the social, cultural and economic fabric of our city for generations.

“Our council has long welcomed prayers and reflections from different traditions and denominations. Extending that same courtesy to minority faith is not divisive or exclusionary, it is representative of the modern Birmingham we proudly serve.”