UKIP leader Nigel Farage has been told he won't be allowed to lay a wreath on Sunday

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But Ukip will not do so because rules dating back to the 1980s involve only parties with at least six MPs laying wreaths.

Wreaths will be laid on Sunday by Prime Minister David Cameron, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, the Democratic Unionist Party's Westminster leader Nigel Dodds and Scottish National Party Westminster leader Angus Robertson.

A senior party figure has written to the Queen after being told by Culture Secretary John Whittingdale that there are no plans to change rules which do not permit Ukip's participation in the solemn annual ceremony.

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Those with between two and five seats are invited to attend but not to lay a wreath.

The anti-Brussels party emerged from May's election with just one MP, former Tory Douglas Carswell, despite polling nearly four million votes across the country - some 2.45 million more than the SNP and 3.5 million more than the DUP.

The party also won last year's European Parliament elections.

Ukip MEP and defence spokesman Mike Hookem wrote to Mr Whittingdale, whose department is in charge of the ceremony, to voice dismay.

Mr Hookem said the decision failed to take into account the wishes of Ukip's millions of supporters.

He added: "It also seems convenient for the Government that they can so easily dismiss the largest group of UK MEPs who were elected from our party when it comes to including us in national events, but like to wax lyrical about the importance of our influence in the European Union when it comes to discussing our membership.

"Either we're in and Cameron thinks MEPs are important in the democratic process and should be taken into consideration or we're out and Cameron admits that the European Union is fundamentally undemocratic."