Prime Minister Keir Starmer formally apologizes in Parliament for the British state’s role in separating unmarried mothers from their babies, a practice that continues to be described as having lasted for decades and effectively ended by the 1970s. Multiple outlets report that Starmer says the government is “deeply and profoundly sorry” and calls it a “stain on our history.”
Sources also describe longstanding campaign efforts seeking recognition that many women were pressured, deceived, threatened, or coerced into giving up children. Several reports state that the process involved social and institutional pressure, and that mothers were often told they had little or no choice. Campaigners are reported to have been involved in the lead-up to the apology, with some present in the public gallery during Starmer’s statement.
An estimated 185,000 babies of unmarried mothers were adopted in England and Wales between 1949 and 1976, according to one outlet citing the figure. Another analysis article links the practice to broader historical adoption arrangements, describing the lack of mothers’ consent in many cases. Overall, the reports agree the apology is aimed at acknowledging harm caused to mothers and children.
