Starmer calls forced adoption scandal a ‘stain on our history’ as he apologises to survivors

Sir Keir Starmer has formally apologised on behalf of the state for the scandal of historical forced adoptions, telling women whose babies were taken from them: “The shame was never yours, the shame is ours.” Speaking in parliament, the prime minister described the practice, which was prevalent in the decades after the Second World War, as a “stain on our history”. Women forced to give up their babies watched on as he made the statement, with some wiping away tears as the apology was delivered. No exact figure exists, but an estimated 185,000 babies of unmarried mothers were adopted in England and Wales between 1949 and 1976. open image in gallery Keir Starmer described historical forced adoption – where many unmarried mothers had their babies taken from them in the decades after the Second World War – as a ‘stain on our history’ (Parliament TV) In his apology, Sir Keir said that what happened to “tens of thousands of mothers, children and families should never have happened. It is a stain on our history. “Mothers – many young, vulnerable, and without support – were coerced, bullied or misled into feeling they had no choice but to have their children taken from them.” These were not isolated or accidental acts, he added. “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. “All institutions that operated with power over people’s lives, yet they did so without compassion, without consent, and without dignity or proper safeguards. Children grew up believing they were unwanted. The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) called for a state apology in 2022, saying that “the government bears ultimate responsibility for the pain and suffering caused ”. But while administrations in Cardiff and Holyrood issued formal apologies in 2023, Westminster’s apology only came on Thursday. Adults who were removed as children from their mothers have also spoken of their suffering at the hands of a “harmful narrative” which long claimed that adoption had saved them. In Northern Ireland, an apology is also expected, but not until after a public inquiry has been carried out, following a recommendation of a 2021 report on mother and baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses. Two weeks ago, the Church of England apologised for its role in forced adoptions, telling survivors the “shame is ours”. Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally said the impact on families had been “lifelong” for many and noted survivors had spoken of the “indignity” they faced.