Keir Starmer Apologizes for Historical UK Forced Adoption Scandal

Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered an official state apology in Parliament on Thursday to address the historical injustice of forced adoptions. The government also unveiled a multi-million-pound funding initiative to assist affected mothers and their adult children in accessing vital records and reunification services.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday apologised on behalf of the British state for the forced adoption of thousands of children born to unmarried mothers between the 1950s and 1970s.

The UK government also announced a GBP 4 million support package over three years to improve access to adoption records, family reunion services and support groups for affected mothers and adopted children, who are now adults.

In a statement in the House of Commons, Starmer said the practice had affected tens of thousands of people and described it as a dark chapter in British history.

According to government estimates, forced adoptions were particularly prevalent between 1949 and 1976, though the practice also continued beyond those years, with an estimated 185,000 babies taken away by institutions, including religious organisations, from vulnerable young women who became pregnant.

Paying tribute to the “remarkable women” who were “coerced, bullied or misled” into believing they had no choice but to give up their children, Starmer said: “What happened to them – and to tens of thousands of mothers, children and families – should never have happened. It is a stain on our history.”

He added: “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.”

Starmer said it was a “systemic failure” and noted that many people from ethnic minority backgrounds “experienced racism”, while some children were adopted across borders or cultures and “lost connections to their heritage, racial and personal identity”.

He told those affected: “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.”

He added: “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 also said: “To each and every one of those affected, we say a deep and heartfelt sorry.”

Some of the affected mothers and adopted children were in the public gallery during the speech and applauded.

The Department for Education has been directed to set up support groups, and Starmer said: “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.”

The national apology follows similar apologies by the devolved governments of Scotland and Wales after a nationwide campaign by those affected.

Starmer also thanked campaigners who had pressed for recognition of the issue for years.

“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.

The apology and support package mark the UK government’s response to a practice that affected thousands of mothers, children and families over several decades.

Historical Context

Between 1940 and 1980, an estimated 250,000 unmarried women across England faced the forced removal of their newborns due to societal pressures and systemic institutional practices. Driven by local authorities, healthcare services, and faith-based organizations, vulnerable young mothers were routinely coerced into relinquishing their parental rights.

Furthermore, many infants suffered from severe care deficiencies, resulting in tragic deaths due to neglect within specialized homes for unmarried mothers. Activists and survivor organizations, including the Movement for an Adoption Apology, spent more than a decade campaigning for official state acknowledgement of the lifelong trauma and institutional accountability linked to these practices.

FAQs

What did Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologize for?

Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued an official state apology in Parliament for the systemic practice of forced adoptions that took place in Britain, particularly focusing on children taken from unmarried mothers between the 1950s and 1970s.

How much funding is the UK government providing to support victims?

The UK government has committed a £4 million support package allocated over three years. The funds will be used to improve access to historical adoption records, set up support groups, and establish family reunion services.

How many children were affected by historical forced adoptions in the UK?

Government figures and independent estimates indicate that between 185,000 and 250,000 babies were taken from vulnerable, unmarried mothers by various state, religious, and social care institutions between 1940 and 1980.

What specific institutional systems were involved in these adoptions?

The practices were embedded across local government authorities, voluntary and faith-based institutions, and healthcare sectors, including parts of what later became the National Health Service (NHS).