Veterans blast SNP politician for wearing 'insulting' white poppy

2022-11-08

SNP politician is urged to apologise for ‘insulting’ Britain’s fallen war heroes after wearing white ‘peace’ poppy bearing pro-independence slogan

Michelle Thomson was pictured wearing the white poppy at a meeting today
The symbol was pinned to her clothes with a ‘yes’ Scottish independence badge
Military veterans have blasted the SNP MSP and said her action are an ‘insult’
A spokesman for Ms Thomson said she never intended to cause offence

A Scottish nationalist MSP has been blasted for wearing a home-made a pro-independence ‘peace’ poppy at Holyrood with veterans branding her actions ‘an insult’.

SNP backbencher Michelle Thomson is facing a backlash after attending a finance committee hearing at Holyrood today wearing the white poppy with a ‘yes’ logo at its centre.

The move comes less than 72 hours before Armistice Day, marking the end of the First World War and honouring Britain’s military personnel who died defending the nation.

Ms Thomson has insisted she never meant to cause offence and said she only attached the ‘yes’ badge to keep her poppy on as she didn’t have a safety pin.

But her actions have outraged veterans, with former troops claiming her decision to use the political symbol was both distasteful and offensive.

SNP backbencher Michelle Thomson is facing a backlash after attending a finance committee hearing at Holyrood today wearing the white poppy with a ‘yes’ logo at its centre

‘This is an insult to veterans,’ Bruce Wilson, a former Royal Marine Captain and veterans spokesman for the Scottish Lib Dems told the Daily Telegraph. ‘It seems like there is nothing the nationalists won’t slap a Yes sticker on.

‘Regardless of whether you choose to wear a white poppy or a red one, this is a symbol of solemn remembrance, not a stunt to publicise your narrow-minded political cause.’

White poppies are handed out by a pacifist body called the Peace Pledge Union, which says the symbol represents all victims of war rather than just the members of the British military.

Traditionally, the red poppy is worn to mark the period of Remembrance each November. But some anti-war campaigners have claimed the icon has become associated with militarism and has lost its original meaning.

Her actions have outraged veterans who branded her decision to wear the ‘peace’ symbol an ‘insult’

Ms Thompson’s decision to wear the white poppy ignited a wave of criticism from rival politicians at the Scottish Conservative Party.

‘This is beyond tacky and tasteless from Michelle Thomson,’ Tory MSP Sharon Dowey said, according to the Herald Scotland.

‘To stoop so low as to politicise our fallen war heroes to push her pro-independence message actually beggars belief.

‘It’s clear that her obsession with separating Scotland from the UK trumps everything – including her sense of decency.

‘Imagine the outcry if a company sought to co-opt the poppy for advertising purposes. Well, this is the political equivalent of that – it’s shameful and yet shameless.

‘Remembrance is a solemn time of the year when the nation unites to pay tribute to those who gave their lives for our freedom. Whatever their political beliefs, all right-thinking Scots will be appalled by Michelle Thomson’s cheap stunt.’

A spokesman for Ms Thomson insisted the SNP MSP had never meant to cause any offence and that a ‘yes’ independence badge had been attached to the white poppy to keep it pinned to her jacket

A spokesman for Ms Thomson insisted she had only attached a political symbol to the symbol as her previous white poppy had disintegrated, the Telegraph reported.

‘Michelle wore a white poppy all last week, and its message of peace is something she strongly believes in,” the spokesman said.

‘Unfortunately, this poppy, being made of paper, came apart at the weekend. Upon arrival at the committee, she asked a colleague for another white poppy and received one – but without a safety pin.

‘She used her Yes badge to affix it prior to obtaining another safety pin after the committee. No offence was intended.

‘Her white poppy, promoting the message of peace, will be affixed in the usual manner in the Scottish Parliament after committee today.’

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