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

Culture War Targets Royal British Legion

The latest front in Britain's culture war is aimed at the Royal British Legion (RBL), the charity responsible for the annual poppy appeal supporting military veterans, service members, and their families. Some right-wing figures claim the RBL has become too "woke."

Criticism from Esther McVey

Former Conservative minister Esther McVey expressed frustration on X, stating:

“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 just for that non-job wage! All the money should be going to veterans not on politically correct non-jobs.”

Laurence Fox’s Opposition

Actor and commentator Laurence Fox also shared his disapproval with followers, saying:

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

RBL’s Defense of the Role

The Royal British Legion emphasizes that the role criticized is essential to supporting minority ethnic, LGBTQ+, and disabled veterans and serving personnel who might otherwise hesitate to seek help due to misconceptions about who the charity serves.

Despite this, critics like McVey and Fox dismiss these concerns as trivial, claiming they know better than the organization.

Summary

This dispute reveals tensions over inclusivity in traditional institutions with some activists opposing modern diversity efforts in veterans’ charities.

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

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