Comment 18 by AtheistEgbert :

It's not necessarily all over. The NSS don't think the Localism Act can be used [or abused] legally this way:

http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2012/02/council-prayers--doubts-over-eric-pickles-general-power-of-competence

Yes, I agree, it is not over yet. I hope the Government will face criticism from its own party on this one.

But the problem for us is that Islam has made the public see Christianity as 'ours' and it has again become a national, patriotic symbol. In the eyes of the public, it is either a good thing (compared to Islam) or benign at worse. Therefore ... holding Christian prayers = good or at worst = what harm can it do?

It all depends how the big guns of the political/media class line up on this one. Will they do a US and decide doing religion is a win-win or will they go the secular route?

I've like some comments I've read here recently - we need to get the message out that the liberal, tolerant society that we are today (and I include in this the present day Church of England) is a result of the secular Enlightenment, not so called Christian values.