politics
Prime Minister Starmer to Apologize for State Role in Forced Adoptions
Sir Keir Starmer will deliver a formal apology in the House of Commons for the British state's involvement in historical forced adoptions in England and Wales. An estimated 185,000 babies were taken from unmarried mothers between the 1950s and 1970s. The move follows a March parliamentary inquiry recommendation.
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Sir Keir Starmer will issue a formal apology on behalf of the British state for its role in historical forced adoptions in England and Wales, The Bbc reported. The statement to the House of Commons on Thursday follows years of campaigning by mothers, adoptees and their families. An estimated 185,000 babies were taken from their mothers in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, The Bbc reported.
Thousands of unmarried women were pressured into giving up their children after government decisions shaped an environment of shame and coercion, according to a March report by the Joint Committee on Human Rights. Campaigners will meet the prime minister in Downing Street before the statement.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson confirmed two weeks ago that the apology was forthcoming, stating that Starmer would address this period reflecting its gravity.
The Joint Committee on Human Rights recommended improved access to adoption records and greater support for family reunions. It stopped short of financial redress but urged assessment of responses in Australia, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The apology comes three years after similar statements from the devolved governments in Wales and Scotland.
An apology is expected in Northern Ireland after a public inquiry concludes, following a 2021 report on mother and baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses. In June the Church of England issued its own apology. Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally said victims experienced pain and trauma when they should have received care, adding that the shame belonged to the institution.
