The white poppy was first used as a symbol by people opposed to war in 1933 and has been  worn sporadically since by those who feel that the wearing of red poppies during the run up to Remembrance Sunday has become too much associated with the glorification of war, and what some regard as the increasing militarisation of British society.

On 29 October 2014, the Stop the War Coalition reported:  ‘We have been inundated with orders for white poppies this year.  We currently have a backlog of orders because of a problem with the supplier.  We have stopped sales of poppies on … [our] website until we have restocked.’

It appears that this shortage is also causing problems with other organisations which usually sell the poppies.  For example, they are not available from Friends House, in Euston Road, London, the Headquarters of Quakers in Britain.

Image: poppy purchased at the Westminster Quaker Meeting House, London, 5 November 2014.