why was reform not at the cenotaph

Remembrance Day Cenotaph rules determine who can lay a wreath, and Reform UK’s leadership was not eligible under current guidelines, which require a party to have at least six MPs to participate in that part of the ceremony. Nigel Farage and Reform UK argued that this exclusion was unfair or politicized, but the governing rule has long been that only parties meeting the six-MP threshold (with a specific accommodation to ensure representation of all four UK nations) can lay wreaths at the Cenotaph. As a result, Reform UK did not participate in laying a wreath in Westminster on Remembrance Sunday in 2024, even though they participated in other commemorative activities and the party pointed to broader perceived disparities in representation. It is worth noting that similar rules apply to other smaller parties, and exceptions are sometimes invoked for Northern Ireland parties to ensure cross-UK representation. If you want, I can summarize the official statements from Reform UK and the Cenotaph organizers or track how these rules have been applied across multiple Remembrance Sundays.