Campaigns against assisted dying that claim to be led by healthcare workers and disabled people are being secretly coordinated and paid for by conservative Christian pressure groups, an Observer investigation has found.
The “grassroots” campaigns have been central to the debate on legalising assisted dying in England and Wales before a landmark vote by MPs this month.
The groups have held protests, given evidence to parliamentary inquiries, appeared in media interviews and orchestrated leaflet campaigns targeting MPs.
But while they are styled to look like separate movements set up by members of the public, they in fact have concealed ties to religious lobbyists.
…analysis of financial records shows Our Duty of Care has close ties to religious lobby groups.
It shares an office address and spokesperson with the Christian Medical Fellowship, an evangelical organisation with an anti-abortion stance, and receives funding from the religious lobby group Care (Christian Action, Research and Education), which is known for its opposition to abortion, sex education, gay marriage and broader LGBTQ+ rights.
…Amy McKay, an associate professor of political science at Exeter University, said the “grassroots” campaigns appeared to be a clear example of astroturfing – the practice of disguising an orchestrated campaign as a spontaneous outpouring of public opinion. “They’re giving this false impression that they are someone they’re not,” she said. She said using doctors to front a campaign motivated by religious interests was a “common tactic” that gave it added legitimacy.
The effect was one of “manufacturing” the impression that more people were opposed to reform than is the case in reality, she said. “It makes it seem like the issue is much more closely divided than I think it really is.”





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