Nip poppy-shaming in the bud, says minister
James Heappey urges people not to wear symbol of remembrance merely ‘as an obligation’
‘The danger is that the act is in the buying of a poppy as a ritual rather than as a considered thing to say’
‘I would far rather that people wore a poppy and thought about its meaning, than wore one because Twitter went nuts at you if you didn’t’
PEOPLE should not be shamed into wearing poppies in the days leading up to Remembrance Sunday, the minister for the Armed Forces has said.
James Heappey, a former officer in the Rifles who served in Afghanistan, said he would rather fewer people wore poppies if they understood what they symbolised than everyone was forced to wear one because “Twitter went nuts if you didn’t”. Mr Heappey also became the first government minister to back moves by former prime minister Boris Johnson to lead international efforts to rebuild war-ravaged Ukraine.
The pressure to wear a poppy out of respect to Britain’s war dead and to those who have served has grown in recent years, with people complaining on social media if those in the public eye are not wearing one. Jon Snow, the former newscaster, was repeatedly taken to task for wearing a white poppy when he read the news on Channel 4.
In an interview on The Telegraph’s Chopper’s Politics podcast, Mr Heappey said he wanted people to give money to the Royal British Legion and wear a poppy at this time of the year.
“It’s important,” he said. “Veterans and people who serve see how many people are wearing a poppy and definitely notice when you’re in a place where nobody’s wearing a poppy.”
However, Mr Heappey said he was concerned that the wearing of poppies has recently morphed into some sort of “obligation” forced on people by the fear of being shamed by others.
He said: “The danger is that the act is in the buying of a poppy as a ritual and the wearing of a poppy as an obligation rather than as a considered thing to say: ‘This is my support for those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice’.”
Mr Heappey said he did not approve of “poppy shaming”, saying: “People wear a poppy or they don’t. The Armed Forces do what they do irrespective.
“Our nation should be very proud of those who have served and should regard it as their duty to support them for the remainder of their lives.
“I would far rather that 60 per cent of the population wore a poppy but really thought about what that symbolised, than 100 per cent of the population wore poppies because Twitter went nuts at you if you didn’t.”
Mr Heappey did not mind people wearing different coloured poppies at this time of the year – such as a white poppy as a symbol of peace or a purple flower to remember animals that have died in conflict zones.
He said: “Some people see different coloured poppies as a different political spin on what should be an entirely apolitical moment. I just think that millions of people have given their lives in the service of our country so that we have the freedom to make those sorts of political choices.”
Mr Heappey urged people to pause to remember Britain’s fallen at war memorial ceremonies at 11am today on Armistice Day and on Remembrance Sunday.
He said: “Some people will be able to picture friends, colleagues and family members that they’ve lost through military service. But, even if that’s not the case for you, there’s still a thing to think on Sunday, that right now there are people in grave danger on behalf of our country. Just be grateful that the brave men and women are willing to do despicable, dangerous things on our behalf so that we can sleep well, to give us the freedom to choose whether to wear a poppy or not.”