Ann Keen works with the Chamber Group at Curia, on our Health, Care and Life Sciences Research Group.
Campaigners who experienced historical forced adoptions have received a formal apology from the Prime Minister, marking a significant moment after decades of campaigning by mothers, adoptees and their families.
An estimated 185,000 babies were taken from unmarried mothers between 1949 and 1976, with many women reporting they were pressured or coerced into giving up their children because of the social stigma surrounding pregnancy outside marriage.
The apology follows years of pressure from campaign groups and a series of parliamentary inquiries examining the state’s role in historical forced adoption practices. Campaigners, including former Labour MP Ann Keen, met the Prime Minister in Downing Street ahead of his statement to Parliament.
“We Are Deeply and Profoundly Sorry”
Opening his statement in the House of Commons, Sir Keir Starmer apologised on behalf of the British state to both mothers and children affected.
“We are deeply and profoundly sorry to the mothers who were told they were unfit, who were prevented from caring for the children… who were taken from their families, denied their identity, their history, and sometimes their safety.”
The Prime Minister acknowledged that many women were denied the information necessary to give informed consent and instead faced pressure, coercion and unethical practices.
“A Stain on Our History”
Describing the scale of the injustice, Starmer rejected the idea that these were isolated incidents.
“It is a stain on our history.”
He continued:
“Mothers, many young, vulnerable and without support, were coerced, bullied or misled into feeling that they had no choice but to have their children taken away from them.”
The Prime Minister said the practices were embedded across public authorities and institutions.
“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… Yet they did so without compassion, without consent and without dignity or proper safeguards.”
Years of Campaigning
The apology follows years of pressure from campaigners and several parliamentary inquiries into historical forced adoption.
A report by the Education Committee earlier this year concluded that government policy helped create an environment in which unmarried mothers were routinely shamed and pressured into adoption. The committee recommended a formal state apology, improved access to adoption records and greater support for families seeking reunion.
While stopping short of recommending financial compensation, MPs urged the Government to examine how other countries, including Australia, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, have responded to historical forced adoption.
The move also follows recommendations from the Joint Committee on Human Rights, which called for a formal apology in 2022. The previous Conservative government expressed regret in 2023 but argued that a formal state apology was not appropriate because it did not believe the state had actively supported the practices.
“The Shame Is Ours”
Addressing women who had lived with decades of stigma, Starmer sought to shift responsibility away from victims.
“The shame is not yours. The shame was never yours. The shame is ours. And I say that on behalf of the whole country.”
He also acknowledged that, while important, the apology could never undo the damage caused.
“I know that this apology will not be able to lift that completely. It will help a little, I hope, but it won’t lift it completely.”
He added that he hoped the apology would encourage more people to come forward and speak about their experiences.
“I hope that this statement, this apology, perhaps gives some of them the confidence to speak about what happened to them, because it will help in a small way.”
Forced Adoptions: Wider Recognition
Today’s statement brings England into line with the devolved governments in Wales and Scotland, both of which issued formal apologies in 2023. Northern Ireland is expected to follow once its ongoing public inquiry concludes.
The issue has also prompted wider institutional reflection. In June, the Church of England issued its own formal apology, acknowledging the role churches and mother and baby homes played in the forced adoption system, recognising the pain experienced by mothers and adoptees and accepting institutional responsibility.
For many campaigners, the Prime Minister’s statement represents a long-awaited acknowledgment of the state’s role in historical forced adoption, though many continue to press for further measures to improve access to records, support family reunions and address the lasting consequences of the practice.
You can still get a copy of our new edition of ChamberUK. Our parliamentary journal.