@Gingergrrl in the run up to Armistice Day November 11th or Remembrance Sunday as we have in the UK on the Sunday closest to 11 November the Royal British Legion which is the armed forces veterans organisation sell poppies in return for donations. Which is then used to support veterans and their families. The poppy is the symbol of the fallen of world war 1 due to the poppies that flowered on the churned up battle fields. The remembrance ceremony with the march past of the last WW1 veterans used to be obligatory viewing in my childhood and now of course practically all of the WW2 veterans have died also. So the event is less directly tied to its original purpose.
There are people who don't agree with the way some in politics and the media nowadays push the expectation that everyone will wear a poppy to demonstrate more in a broader show of patriotism and support for current UK Foreces. Some feel the focus should be entirely on remembrance of the loss of life of the many many individuals in the wars.
There are also different groups in society who don't support some of the specific military actions taken at various times by UK governments as well as people who are against military action for moral reasons.
Anyone in the public eye who doesn't conform to wearing a poppy can quickly be picked up for it by the press as unpatriotic. BBC are always being accused of left wing bias so tend to be quite concerned to not being open to criticism as unpatriotic.
That's my take on it hope that helps.