13 June 2018

Suicide is a serious matter. According to the most recent figures almost 6,000 people took their own lives across the UK in one year.

It is regrettable that, on the same day that suicide prevention was being discussed in the Scottish Parliament, an MP would apparently use suicide as a slur towards their colleagues. Language is important and we shouldn't tolerate this behaviour in any workplace, let alone an elected parliament.

Organisations across the country are working tirelessly to better the country's mental health, including a range of suicide prevention programmes. Suicide is never the answer, and no society should tolerate the desperation that would lead a person to take their own life.

For this reason we urge all politicians to refrain from using language that promotes suicidal thinking and we urge all elected representatives to support the local and national suicide prevention work that is happening right across the country.