UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has formally apologised on behalf of the British state for its role in the historical forced adoption of babies in England and Wales, acknowledging the "lifelong trauma" suffered by mothers, children and families.
Delivering a statement in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Starmer said the forced adoption of an estimated 185,000 babies during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s was "a stain on our history".
"The shame is not yours. The shame was never yours. The shame is ours," he told MPs.
Many of the women affected were young and unmarried and were pressured into giving up their babies because of the social attitudes of the time. Starmer said mothers were "coerced, bullied, or misled" into believing they had no choice but to surrender their children.
He said the practice was not the result of isolated incidents but was embedded across local authorities, religious organisations and parts of what is now the NHS, with institutions exercising power over vulnerable women "without compassion, without consent, and without dignity or proper safeguards".
The apology follows years of campaigning by birth mothers, adoptees and their families, as well as recommendations from parliamentary inquiries calling for formal recognition of the state's role.
Campaigners and survivors watched the statement from the public gallery in the House of Commons, with some seen in tears as the Prime Minister spoke.
Alongside the apology, Starmer announced several measures aimed at supporting those affected. The government will establish support groups for birth mothers and adopted adults through the Department for Education.
It will also create a national online resource to help survivors locate adoption records held across England and Wales. Ministers will consult on requiring adoption records to be retained for 100 years and will ask councils and adoption agencies to respond to requests for records more quickly and consistently. Access to funded intermediary services, particularly for pre-1976 cases, will also be expanded.
Conservative shadow minister Alex Burghart welcomed the apology, agreeing that forced adoption was "a stain on our history" and acknowledging the lasting impact the practice had on both mothers and children.
The apology comes after an Education Committee report published in March concluded that government policies had created an environment in which unmarried mothers were frequently shamed and pressured into placing their children for adoption. The committee also called for better access to adoption records and improved support for family reunification.
The previous Conservative government expressed regret in 2023 but declined to issue a formal state apology, arguing that the state had not actively supported the practices. Earlier apologies have already been made by the devolved governments in Wales and Scotland, while Northern Ireland is expected to consider a formal apology following the completion of a public inquiry.
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