Key facts
- The UK government has issued a formal apology for its role in forced adoptions.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered the apology in the House of Commons.
- The practice separated tens of thousands of unmarried mothers from their babies until the 1970s.
- An estimated 185,000 children were separated from their mothers in England and Wales between 1949 and 1976.
- The government committed £4 million to support affected individuals.
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer has issued a formal apology for the state's role in decades of forced adoption practices, calling it a "stain" on the country's history. The apology addresses the separation of tens of thousands of unmarried mothers from their babies until the 1970s. Between 1949 and 1976, an estimated 185,000 children born to unwed mothers were adopted by married couples in England and Wales, with campaigners testifying to pressure, coercion, and bullying into giving up their children. Starmer acknowledged that societal institutions, including local authorities and faith-based organizations, played a role, and stated that "the state bears responsibility for the systems it funded and legitimized." The government has allocated £4 million for support services, including improved access to adoption records and mental health support. Previously, the Conservative government had declined to issue a formal apology, arguing the state did not actively support these practices, while Scotland and Wales had issued their own apologies.