Westminster Doorkeepers are to be permitted to wear poppies during the week leading up to Armistice Day following the intervention of Tom Elliott, Ulster Unionist MP for Fermanagh & South Tyrone. This was agreed following representations made by Mr Elliott to the Westminster Serjeant at Arms when he noticed that Doorkeepers did not wear poppies, except on Armistice Day itself. He discovered that this was due to official policy.
Mr Elliott said:
"I am pleased that Westminster Doorkeepers will now be allowed to wear poppies during Remembrance Week. When I noticed that Doorkeepers were not wearing poppies in November, I was surprised to hear that the only time that they were allowed to wear poppies was on Armistice Day itself, but not in the days leading up to it. It was at best an anomaly that needed addressed.
"Given that the Palace of Westminster is the seat of Government in the United Kingdom and where the decisions are made to send the men and women of our Armed Forces into conflict, a number of people felt that it was inappropriate that Doorkeepers who work there could not join with the rest of the country in wearing poppies in the period running up to 11th November.
"I raised this with the Serjeant at Arms in the Commons and I am pleased to say, that following a consultation process, Doorkeepers will now be permitted to wear poppies from 4-11 November. I want to thank the Doorkeepers for their co-operation and also the Serjeant at Arms and his staff who took the time to listen to those concerns and for acting in the way they did."