'A stain on our history': PM Starmer apologises for forced adoptions of children born to unmarried mothers

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday formally apologised on behalf of the state for the decades-long practice of forcibly separating thousands of children from unmarried mothers, describing it as a profound injustice that should never have occurred.

Addressing the House of Commons, Starmer acknowledged the suffering of women who, between the 1950s and 1970s, were pressured into giving up their babies through practices embedded across public institutions, faith-based organisations and healthcare services.

An estimated 185,000 children were taken from vulnerable mothers during the period, many of whom were made to believe they had no alternative because of the social stigma attached to unmarried pregnancy.

Calling the episode "a stain on our history," Starmer said the forced adoptions were not isolated incidents but reflected systemic failures across local authorities, voluntary organisations and parts of what is now the National Health Service (NHS).

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“These were not isolated or accidental acts. They were practices embedded within systems across local authorities, across voluntary and faith-based institutions, and in health and social care services, including parts of what is now the NHS [National Health Service].

“I hope this statement and this apology perhaps gives some of them the confidence to speak about what happened to them because it will help in a small way.

“But I say this: the shame is not yours, the shame was never yours, the shame is ours. And I say that on behalf of the whole country, I say it to every single person impacted, we are deeply and profoundly sorry,” he said.

Starmer noted that it was a “systemic failure” which meant that many from ethnic minority backgrounds “experienced racism” and some were adopted across borders or cultures and therefore “lost connections to their heritage, racial and personal identity.” “To each and every one of those affected, we say a deep and heartfelt sorry,” he stated.

During the PM’s speech, some of the impacted mothers and adopted children were watching and clapping from the public gallery of the Commons.

The Department for Education has been directed to set up support groups for such mothers and adopted kids, now adults, and a 4-million-pound support package over three years is expected to offer better access to adoption records and family reunion services.

The national apology follows the devolved governments of Scotland and Wales having issued apologies for such practices following a nationwide campaign by those impacted.

According to government estimates, the practice of forced adoptions was particularly prevalent between 1949 and 1976 but also extended beyond those years.

“We will fund the development of a national online resource, creating a single access point to locate records wherever they might be held across the country,” Starmer promised.

“I want to thank those who have campaigned for so long to have the truth recognised, including those who are no longer with us to hear this apology they fought for. It should never have happened. And you should not have had to fight for this day to come,” he said.

With inputs from agencies