Festive revellers may have to be careful which Christmas songs they sing down the pub, as the newly-passed Employment Right Bill obliges publicans to protect their staff from offensive lyrics. The Telegraph has the story.

Sitting in a pub with a glass of mulled wine, while loudly singing along to a Christmas song, is a much-loved tradition of the festive season.

But its days may be numbered as pub landlords must ban ‘offensive’ lyrics under new laws requiring them to take “all reasonable steps” to protect staff from third-party harassment.

The songs affected could include ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’, which has faced criticism from the #MeToo movement, ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, which has been accused of stereotyping the continent of Africa, and ‘Jingle Bells’, which is said to have ‘racist’ origins.

Under Labour’s controversial Employment Rights Bill, which became law last week, employers will have a legal duty to prevent harassment by third parties relating to a ‘protected characteristic’ such as race, religion, sexual orientation or age.

Read more: ‘Offensive’ Christmas Songs Could Fall Victim to Labour’s Banter Ban