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Sir Keir Starmer is set to issue an official apology on behalf of the British government for its involvement in the forced adoption practices that occurred in England and Wales during the mid-20th century. Between the 1950s and 1970s, approximately 185,000 babies were taken from their mothers, with numerous unmarried women being pressured into giving up their children.
This apology follows persistent efforts by affected mothers, adoptees, and their families, who have long campaigned for recognition and justice. Ahead of Starmer’s address to the House of Commons, campaigners are scheduled to meet with the prime minister at Downing Street. The move comes after a parliamentary inquiry in March urged the government to urgently apologize for the state’s role in these practices.
The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) inquiry report highlighted how government policies contributed to an environment in which unmarried mothers faced shame and coercion to give their babies up for adoption. The report also called for better access to adoption records and increased support for individuals seeking to reconnect with their biological families. While the inquiry did not recommend financial compensation, it advised the government to carefully examine how other nations, such as Australia, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, have dealt with historical forced adoptions.
Two weeks prior, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson confirmed that an official government apology was forthcoming. She remarked, “The prime minister will have more to say on this shameful period in our history, reflecting the gravity of what has happened.” This apology will arrive three years after the devolved administrations in Cardiff and Holyrood issued their own apologies for forced adoption victims in Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland is also expected to follow suit, though only after a public inquiry into mother and baby institutions, Magdalene laundries, and workhouses has concluded.
The parliamentary inquiry was in part prompted by earlier investigative reporting by the BBC on forced adoption. Personal testimonies from those affected reveal the deep emotional toll: Gaynor Weatherly, for example, spoke in 2021 of feeling “cheated out of a different life” despite finding happiness with her own family. Diana Defries recounted how she lost her child abruptly after giving birth at age 16, saying, “I yelled to bring her back, but the nurse then just walked past me and put my daughter on a table out of my reach.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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