Former Shadow Home Secretary Anne Widdecombe, a Daily Express columnist, added: “If they do go through with this David Cameron will be lucky not to lose massive amounts of Conservative Party members. There is no doubt they are undermining the rights of Christians with this stance.”

Senior Church of England clerics condemned the Government for “meddling” in religious affairs yesterday after it emerged ministers plan to argue in court that Christians have no legal right to wear crosses at work.

A showdown is looming in the European Court of Human Rights over two women who are fighting to stop people being discriminated against for wearing crosses or crucifixes

The Government’s official response has challenged the significance of the cross to Christians, claiming that wearing one is not a “requirement of the faith” unlike, for instance, a Sikh’s turban or a Muslim’s hijab.

Nadia Eweida and Shirley Chaplin each faced disciplinary action at work for wanting to wear a cross while in uniform.

Mrs Eweida battled British Airways after she was suspended for refusing to remove her cross while at work as a member of their check-in staff. Her employers argued the 61-year-old’s 2006 stance breached the company’s uniform code but eventually changed the dress code.

Mrs Chaplin, 56, a nurse for 31 years, has been barred from working on the wards at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust after she refused to hide her cross and chain.

Now the two want the Strasbourg-based court to rule that their human right to express their religious beliefs freely has been breached. The case hinges on Article 9 of the controversial code which states everyone has the right to “manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice or observance”.

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