Singing along to Christmas songs containing “offensive” lyrics while in a pub or restaurant could soon be banned under new laws, a free speech campaigner has warned.
Critics fear belting out your favourite festive hit over a pint could soon be a thing of the past, under Labour’s new Employment Rights Act.
Under the new legislation, which was passed this week, employers will be obligated to put a stop to harassment of their staff covering “all protected characteristics” such as age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or race.
Free Speech Union founder and Conservative life peer, Toby Young, previously warned this could lead to a so-called “banter ban”, impacting places such as pubs and bars.
He told ministers earlier this year: “If Clause 20 is unamended, it will plunge employers into a legal quagmire, force them to spend a fortune on obtaining and then implementing legal advice and inevitably have a chilling effect on free speech in those very places—pubs, bars, restaurants, football stadiums and universities—where people should be free to speak their minds.”
Mr Young said the “banter ban” could result in the “policing of harmless fun in pubs, bars and restaurants”.
“The Government didn’t listen, insisting we were being alarmist, but a ban on Christmas music and carol singing will be the least of it,” he told The Telegraph.
Labour’s Employment Rights Act became law this week
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“Prepare to live in a country in which every hospitality venue is a micro-managed ‘safe space’, overseen by lanyard-wearing banter bouncers. Welcome to Starmer’s Britain.”
The Government has however, denied the claims.
“This is complete rubbish. The Employment Rights Act will not affect anyone’s right to lawful free speech, and people will still be able to enjoy their favourite Christmas carols,” a spokesman said.
Under the new Employment Rights Act, day one rights will allow 32,000 more dads and partners each year to take paternity leave and 1.5 million more parents to take unpaid parental leave.
Lord Toby Young warned the new law would serve as a ‘banter ban’
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GB NEWSReforms to statutory sick pay meanwhile, mean more than one million low-paid workers will be able to take time off when they’re unwell without worrying about not being paid.
Employees will now also be protected from unfair dismissal six months after starting a new job, as opposed to two years as was previously the case.
Sir Keir Starmer this week said: “This Act sets in motion an increase in living standards, supporting productivity and importantly, more security and dignity for people in work.
“When we said we’d bring work into the 21st century, we meant it.”
The Conservatives have however warned the bill will “kill jobs”.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch claimed the new law will cost businesses £5billion a year and contained “lots of terrible measures”.