PM apologizes for historical forced adoptions in England and Wales
Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a formal apology on behalf of the British state for the forced adoption of children from unmarried mothers between 1940 and 1980, affecting an estimated 185,000 mothers and children. The government also announced a support package for survivors.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Prime Minister Apologises for Historical Forced Adoptions in England and Wales
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has issued a formal apology on behalf of the British state for the forced adoption of children from unmarried mothers between 1949 and 1976. The apology, delivered in the House of Commons, acknowledged that an estimated 185,000 babies were taken from their mothers in England and Wales during that period. The Prime Minister described the practice as "a stain on our history" and said the shame belonged to the state, not the mothers.
Background and Campaign
The apology follows decades of campaigning by survivors and a 2022 report by the Joint Committee on Human Rights, which found that government decisions had shaped an environment in which unmarried mothers were often shamed and coerced into giving up their children. The Church of England apologised for its involvement last month, and the Welsh and Scottish governments had already issued apologies in 2023. The UK government had previously resisted a formal apology, arguing the state did not actively support the practices.
The Apology
Before addressing Parliament, the Prime Minister met privately with a group of birth mothers and adult adoptees in Downing Street. In his Commons statement, he said: "What happened to them and to tens of thousands of mothers, children and families should never have happened. It is a stain on our history." He added: "The shame is not yours. The shame was never yours. The shame is ours." He apologised directly to the mothers who were told they were unfit, who were prevented from caring for their children, and who had carried the loss for decades.
Support Package
The government announced a support package worth £4 million over three years. This will help improve access to adoption records, support family tracing, and provide better health support for those affected. However, campaigners noted that the package is limited in scope and time, and there is no compensation scheme, unlike in other countries such as Australia, Scotland, and Wales, which have already apologised and provided compensation.
Reactions from Survivors
Survivors who attended the apology described it as a long-overdue recognition of their suffering. Diana De Vries, a campaigner who was forced to give up her daughter in 1974, said: "It's a huge day, historically, personally, for us as an adoptee community. And there were times when I didn't think we'd get here, but we're here." Another mother, Anne Keen, whose baby was taken in 1966, said: "It means I'm innocent. I've been wrongly accused of giving my baby away and I hadn't given him away. He was taken." Many expressed relief that the public record had been corrected, but stressed that more action is needed, including long-term mental health support and help with searching for lost relatives.
Broader Context
The forced adoption scandal affected an estimated 185,000 to 250,000 babies across England and Wales. Mothers, often young and unmarried, were sent to mother and baby homes where they faced coercion, cruelty, and stigma. Many were denied pain relief during childbirth and told they would remember the pain as punishment. The babies were then taken away, often within days, and adopted by families who were told the mothers had willingly given them up. The practice has left generations of mothers and children with lifelong trauma. The apology in Northern Ireland is still pending, pending the outcome of a public inquiry.
Next Steps
Campaigners welcomed the apology but called for sustained action. Adoption UK's chief executive, Emily Firth, said: "Words alone are not enough. While today's investment in improved support is welcome, it is limited in scope and time." The government has committed to helping find mass unmarked baby graves and to ensuring that such practices never happen again. The Prime Minister acknowledged that the apology alone cannot undo the harm, but hoped it would help survivors feel heard and begin to heal.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| An estimated 185,000 to 250,000 babies were taken from unmarried mothers in England and Wales between the 1940s and 1970s. | · | |||||
| The government pledged £4 million towards setting up a way to track down relatives. | · | · | · | · | ||
| Diana De Vries was sent to a mother and baby home at age 16 in 1974 and her baby was taken from her arms at 12 days old. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| ITV's investigation found evidence of mass unmarked baby graves connected to state and church institutions. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The BBC's coverage of the story over five years led to apologies from the Welsh and Scottish governments. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Church of England apologised for its involvement in the forced adoptions. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Education Secretary acknowledged the practice of forced adoptions continued into more recent times. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The government committed to helping find mass unmarked baby graves for the first time. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The previous Conservative government had said a formal apology was not appropriate, believing the state did not actively support these practices. | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News focused on the historical context and the emotional testimonies of survivors, with a strong emphasis on the personal stories of coercion and cruelty. The channel also highlighted the political timeline, noting that the previous Conservative government had resisted an apology. The tone was factual but empathetic, with detailed quotes from survivors and the Education Committee report.
- “forced adoption stripped me of my identity. I had my name changed. I had no family or medical information.”
- “the shame is not yours. The shame was never yours. The shame is ours.”
5 News provided a concise summary of the apology and then focused on a studio interview with campaigner Diana De Vries. The channel gave a personal, emotional perspective, allowing De Vries to describe her own experience and what the apology meant. The tone was supportive and humanising, with less emphasis on political details and more on the survivor's voice.
- “it is a stain on our history and you should not have had to fight so hard for this day to come”
- “I think apologies are very powerful if they're delivered the right way and the prime minister was very sincere”
BBC ONE West provided a comprehensive, narrative-driven report with strong visual storytelling, including footage of survivors entering Downing Street and the Commons gallery. The channel emphasised the long campaign and the emotional release for survivors, with a focus on the personal stories of Diana De Vries and Anne Keen. The tone was respectful and detailed, highlighting the BBC's own role in uncovering the scandal through previous reports.
- “It's a stain on our history.”
- “The shame is not yours. The shame was never yours. The shame is ours.”
ITV1 gave extensive coverage across multiple bulletins, with a strong investigative angle. The channel highlighted its own long-running investigation into mass unmarked baby graves and the neglect of disabled babies. The tone was critical of the state's delay, noting that other countries had apologised years earlier. ITV1 also stressed the lack of a compensation scheme, framing the apology as a first step but insufficient.
- “The shame is not yours. The shame is ours.”
- “It means I'm innocent. I've been wrongly accused of giving my baby away and I hadn't given him away. He was taken.”
Channel 4 provided a very brief, factual summary of the apology, focusing on the key numbers and the Prime Minister's statement. The channel did not include survivor interviews or detailed analysis, instead moving quickly to other news. The tone was neutral and concise, with no additional context or investigative angle.
- “The shame is not yours. The shame was never yours. The shame is ours.”
BBC TWO's Newsnight focused on an interview with the Education Secretary, who defended the apology and the support package. The channel used the interview to probe the government's reasoning and the legacy of the scandal. The tone was analytical and slightly critical, questioning why it took so long and whether the measures were sufficient.
- “It is horrific what women and families experienced during that time.”
- “The awful tales of women who were denied pain relief in childbirth, whose babies were removed from them a matter of hours after being born”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.