Left-wing controversialists have gone after poppies as a way to hit out at new rules to ensure impartiality on the BBC. As Guido reported last week, the rules ban:

“… expressing a view on any policy which is a matter of current political debate or on a matter of public policy, political or industrial controversy, or any other ‘controversial subject’.”

Clarification issued on 30 October to employees concerned about LGBT pride events states that “clearly celebratory or commemorative” causes do not fall under the “political or industrial controversy” criteria. Anticipating objections celebratory (Pride) and commemorative (Remembrance Day) causes were explicitly named…

Read Tim Davie’s letter explaining the guidance in full below: