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.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said.&nbs...
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on D...
Nigeria's first Ebola case in more than a decade may be linked to travel in Uganda, Swiss authorities said on Thursday, although the source of ...
Russia is willing in principle to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the United States in November, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said after President Vladimir Putin met U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg.
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Yemen's Houthis have denied targeting the holy city of Medina on Wednesday adding that they have not conducted any military operations towards Saudi Arabia either, denying earlier comments from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
Georgia’s Constitutional Court in Batumi will on Wednesday hear a lawsuit seeking to ban five Georgian opposition parties, four of which collectively gained 784,820 votes (37.79 per cent) in the country’s last national elections in 2024.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
Nigeria's first Ebola case in more than a decade may be linked to travel in Uganda, Swiss authorities said on Thursday, although the source of infection remains unclear. Uganda maintains it has no cases of the disease.
Super typhoon Champi is set to batter Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture from Friday (23 October), bringing violent winds, torrential rain and waves up to 11 metres high, as airlines cancel flights and organisers scrap a major festival.
Two women from Austria and Switzerland have been freed after lengthy periods in captivity in Niger, following extensive diplomatic efforts to secure their release amid growing concerns over kidnappings in the Sahel region.
France has reported its first known human case of Shamonda virus following the death of an infected patient, authorities said on Thursday (22 October). The virus, typically found in livestock, is believed to have been transmitted by a biting midge.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment