As Remembrance Sunday approaches, the Peace Pledge Union is encouraging people to wear white poppies at local remembrance ceremonies, including events in Stroud. The organisation says the flowers honour all victims of war, both civilian and military, rather than representing only those who served in the armed forces.
The appeal was made in a letter to the editor signed by Colin Kerr, Davide Dionisi, Liz Cooke, Rev Matt Harbage and Chris Green, who are identified as council members of the Peace Pledge Union.
White poppies have also featured in Stroud’s own remembrance history. A photograph accompanying the letter shows the late Cllr John Marjoram laying a wreath of white poppies at the town’s Remembrance Day service in the late 1980s. The image is credited to Dwight M Booth.
Why the group is backing white poppies
The signatories argue that civilians bear a devastating cost in war. They cite United Nations figures recording a 40% increase in civilian deaths in conflict in 2024, while estimates suggest civilians have made up between 85% and 90% of those killed in armed conflicts since the Second World War.
The letter also refers to recent Ipsos polling, which found that 48% of Britons said there were no circumstances in which they would be willing to take up arms and go to war for Britain.
Against the backdrop of continuing conflicts around the world, the Peace Pledge Union says it believes people should look towards peaceful alternatives. The group’s message is intended to sit alongside remembrance of the dead while drawing attention to the wider human cost of armed conflict.
A symbol dating back to 1933
According to the letter, white poppies have carried the “never again” message since 1933. Members of the Co-operative Women’s Guild, many of whom had lost loved ones in the First World War, first made the flowers as a declaration against future wars.
The Peace Pledge Union says white poppies are available through its website, ppu.org.uk. The appeal comes as communities prepare for Remembrance Sunday ceremonies and consider how they want to remember those affected by war.
