HOLD THE BBC TO ACCOUNT

MAKE A COMPLAINT

Last night the BBC hosted James Orr, a Cambridge academic and senior adviser to Reform UK on its Question Time panel. James Orr has expressed support for a total ban on abortion, including in cases of rape. This is despite the fact that one in three women will have an abortion in their lifetime, and nine in ten people in Britain identify as pro-choice.. 

 Use our template letter to complain to the BBC. This is not “balance.” It gives legitimacy to an extreme and harmful position that undermines the rights, safety, and dignity of women and girls.

Email the BBC here https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints

Subject: Formal Complaint: BBC Platforming of Harmful Anti-Abortion Views

Dear BBC

I am writing to lodge a formal complaint about the decision to give airtime on the Question Time panel to a guest, James Orr, head of policy for Reform UK. James Orr is a hard right theologian who wants the Equality Act repealed and who advocates for a total ban on abortion, without even any exception for rape survivors., 

This is not about silencing disagreement but about ensuring that public forums like Question Time do not inadvertently amplify perspectives that many believe threaten essential healthcare rights.

This is not about silencing disagreement but about ensuring that public forums like Question Time do not inadvertently amplify and legistimise perspectives that threaten essential healthcare rights.

In particular, advocating forced pregnancy for survivors of rape is widely recognised as a violation of basic human rights.

As the UK’s public service broadcaster, the BBC has a clear responsibility to ensure that its output does not amplify harmful or extremist perspectives without rigorous scrutiny. In this instance, that responsibility has not been met.

Freedom of expression does not absolve the BBC of its duty to challenge misinformation especially when discussing issues with profound medical, ethical and social consequences. Failure to do so risks causing real harm, including distress to survivors of sexual violence and the spread of misleading narratives about healthcare.

I am therefore requesting:

• An explanation of the editorial decision to platform these views
• Clarification of what steps were taken to appropriately challenge them during the programme
• A commitment to stronger editorial safeguards when covering reproductive rights in future

I look forward to your response.