Starmer apologises for UK’s role in forced adoptions

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologized to women who were forced to give up their babies or were separated from their mothers at birth as part of the forced adoption system that targeted unmarried women for decades after the Second World War.

An estimated 185,000 children in Britain have been separated from their mothers.

Starmer apologized on behalf of the state for the lifelong trauma it has caused.

In his speech to parliament on Thursday, Starmer called what happened to the victims “a stain on our history” and said: “On behalf of the whole country, I say to everyone affected: We are deeply and profoundly sorry.” he said.

“The government has not done enough to protect mothers, children and families from harm, and I am truly sorry for this systemic failure.”

Between 1949 and 1976, the British state and Christian churches created a system in which young women who had children out of wedlock were shamed and forced to give up their babies to conform to the social norms of the time.

The Church of England apologized for its role in June, acknowledging its role in running so-called “mother and baby homes” where unmarried women were separated from their babies, often against their will, during pregnancy or after giving birth.

The state’s apology follows similar apologies from Ireland and Australia, four years after Britain’s human rights committee concluded it was “ultimately responsible” for a lack of protection for unmarried mothers and their babies.

Starmer said the government would spend Stg4 million (A$7.7 million) on helping people access adoption records, funding intermediary services to help people reconnect with family members, and research and reference projects to document the long-term impact.

Starmer had met a group of affected mothers and children at his home in Downing Street earlier on Thursday.

“You have never had any shame. The shame is actually ours. The shame belongs to the state and those responsible for this,” he said.