Dear SPUC supporter,

The Health and Social Care Committee has today published its report on its 14-month inquiry into assisted suicide. SPUC has welcomed the detailed report, which catalogues the dangers of legalising assisted suicide or euthanasia.
 
The Committee rejected a late call to recommend a Parliamentary debate on assisted suicide along with a “review” of Britain’s suicide law.
 
Despite this, the BBC’s coverage throughout the day has been hopelessly biased – referring only to “assisted dying” despite the report also using “assisted suicide” and heavily promoting the views of celebrities who favour legalisation. One example is this BBC News article, which is littered with pro-assisted suicide rhetoric. It also misrepresents the Committee’s conclusions on palliative care saying “the Health and Social Care Committee found evidence it has led to better end-of-life care in countries where it is allowed" when the best it says is that it hasn’t got worse.
 
The UK has recently had to endure an onslaught of pro-assisted suicide media bias, which appears hellbent on skewing the narrative to allow assisted suicide to enter the UK.
 
We cannot let them control the narrative. Please contact the BBC and make clear that this biased reporting will not be tolerated, and that the BBC must issue a correction and amend its article to better reflect the contents of the report.

SPUC has analysed the report from the Health and Social Care committee and established the most important points that you should raise with the BBC.

When corresponding with the BBC, you could include that the report from the Health and Social Care Committee states that:

• There is evidence that access to good-quality palliative care reduces the demand for assisted suicide. 
• There is evidence in both Europe and Canada that the legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide has had a negative impact on the provision of palliative care. 
• The report points out that Parliament has given the issue of assisted suicide considerable attention with 10 Bills or amendments being introduced in the 10 years between 2003 – 2022.

• The committee rejected proposals to call on the Government to facilitate the passage of new legislation.

The threat of assisted suicide entering the UK is serious. If assisted suicide is legalised, vulnerable people will be put at risk and face pressure to end their lives prematurely. We cannot allow this to happen, and we cannot allow biased media outlets to influence the assisted suicide debate in the UK.

Please contact the BBC now.