John Reid, the Home Secretary, is "sick and tired" of hearing about the removal of tinsel and baubles from workforces around the country because of "mad political correctness", he will declare this weekend.

In an interview to be broadcast on GMTV, Mr Reid also criticised British Airways for banning Naida Eweida, a check-in employee from wearing a small cross necklace, a decision on which the airline later backed down.

"Like the vast majority of people, I'm sick and tired of this sort of mad political correctness that said you can't wear a crucifix on British Airways or you can't put up decorations for Christmas, or you can't call Christmas 'Christmas'," he said.

"I think most people just find this completely over the top and I would rather have a bit of what I call PCS - Plain Common Sense, than PC - Political Correctness," he said.

A recent survey of 2,300 employers found that three out of four managers had banned Christmas decorations in their workplaces this year for fear of offending people of other faiths.

The survey by law firm Peninsula also revealed that as well as potentially causing offence, bosses felt that Christmas trees and tinsel made offices unprofessional.

Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula, said the findings followed a number of cases involving local authorities banning festive activities and decorations.

"Christmas trees and decorations may well be a thing of the past in many workplaces this Christmas as political correctness culture has spread to the workplace," he said.

"Although employers who are enforcing the ban are sceptical and dismayed by this trend, they feel that they have little choice in the matter due to the threat of litigation; as they have to protect themselves, their reputation and their livelihood."

Mr Reid is not the only politician to have weighed into such a debate of late.

On Thursday Jack Straw, former foreign secretary and Leader of the House of Commons, described cultural second guessing as "politically correct nonsense" and urged people to "put the tinsel in the office".

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