London, July 2, 2026 – The Europe Today: Outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday issued a formal apology on behalf of the UK government for the historical practice of forced adoptions, acknowledging the state’s responsibility for the lasting harm inflicted on mothers, children and families through decades of systemic failures.
Addressing the House of Commons, Starmer said the shame associated with the practice belonged not to those affected but to the state and its institutions.
“The shame is not yours. The shame was never yours. The shame is ours. I say that on behalf of the whole country. I say it to every single person impacted. We are deeply and profoundly sorry,” the prime minister said.
He described the practice as a “stain on our history” and acknowledged that successive governments had failed to protect vulnerable mothers and children by supporting and legitimising systems that allowed coercive adoption practices to continue.
Starmer said the state had funded, enabled and relied upon institutions that were not consistently or effectively supervised, allowing widespread harm to persist over many years.
“The state did not do enough to protect mothers, children and families from harm. And for this systemic failure, I am truly sorry,” he said.
The prime minister announced that Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson would write to local authorities and regional adoption agencies as part of the government’s response to the historic injustice. The government also announced measures to improve support for those affected, including enhanced access to adoption records and additional assistance services.
The apology follows years of campaigning by survivors and advocacy groups and acknowledges the suffering of an estimated 185,000 babies who were separated from their unmarried mothers in England and Wales between 1949 and 1976 under coercive adoption practices.
