Now the loony right turns its fire on... the poppy appeal

Now the loony right targets the poppy appeal

Britain’s far right is attacking the Royal British Legion, which organizes the annual poppy charity to support military veterans, active personnel, and their families.

Criticism from political and public figures

Esther McVey, a former Tory minister, expressed her disapproval on X:

“Bought my poppy as I do every year… however, horrified to discover The Royal British Legion (RBL) has a Head of Diversity & Inclusion at a wage of about £65k – that’s a lot of poppies to sell for that non-job wage! All the money should go to veterans, not on politically correct non-jobs.”

Laurence Fox, a well-known critic, told his followers:

“Haven’t bought a poppy yet this year… Can’t bring myself to contribute to the head of diversity, equity, and inclusion's salary. I refuse to support it.”

The RBL’s stance

The Royal British Legion argues that the role criticized by McVey, Fox, and others is crucial. It is dedicated to supporting minority ethnic, LGBTQ+, and disabled veterans and active service members who might believe the organization is not for them, preventing outreach to those groups.

Author's summary

The ongoing culture war criticism targets the Royal British Legion's diversity roles, despite their importance in supporting diverse veteran communities.

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The New European The New European — 2025-11-04

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