Why MPs were wearing white roses during Prime Minister’s Questions

MPs from across the political spectrum were spotted in the House of Commons sporting white roses on their clothes - and it was all for a very worthy cause.

Theresa May wearing the white rose. Picture: AFP/Getty

As Theresa May faced her weekly grilling from politicians in parliament, a number of viewers took to Twitter to ponder why MPs appeared to be wearing white roses.

The white roses were not designed to be a political statement, but were instead in honour of Ovarian Cancer Awareness day, which is being marked today.

A woman dies from the disease every two hours in the UK, and Ovarian Cancer Action distributed 33,000 white roses across the country, complete with symptom cards.

Their website said: “Each rose represents a British woman living with the disease and serves as a symbol of hope for a world without ovarian cancer.

“May 8th is World Ovarian Cancer Day and this year we will be handing out 33,000 white roses with symptoms cards attached in cities across the UK. We’re also committed to funding research that saves lives by attacking the problem at every level; from developing better treatments so women with the disease can live longer, to developing a screening tool to ensure it is caught in its earliest stage.”

Jeremy Corbyn addressed World Ovarian Cancer Day in his questions to Theresa May, saying figures showed in February a quarter of patients waited two months for treatment after a GP referral, the “worst performance on record”, asking Mrs May to “apologise to those cancer patients facing weeks of almost unbelievable stress and worry whilst they are waiting to start their treatment”.

The Prime Minister said the Government “recognises the importance of early diagnosis”, which she said was a key part of their NHS long-term plan.

In 2015, the SNP’s newly swelled ranks of 56 MPs wore white roses to symbolise the poem ‘Little white rose of Scotland’ by Hugh McDiarmid.

The wearing of the flower is SNP tradition at Holyrood and Westminster parliament openings, the party said in a statement

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