{"id":2023126,"date":"2026-07-02T13:18:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T10:18:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2023126"},"modified":"2026-07-02T13:18:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T10:18:26","slug":"keir-starmer-issues-state-apology-for-decades-of-forced-adoptions-practices-in-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2023126","title":{"rendered":"Keir Starmer issues state apology for decades of forced adoptions practices in UK"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/82\/26\/66\/1200x675_cmsv2_8d4331a8-2b10-52dc-a0da-378fd68225f6-9822666.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2906792-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2906792\" data-cid=\"9822949\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2906792-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" 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src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/82\/29\/49\/189x106_cmsv2_ecbb4d1f-31e6-57c7-9a74-541dc94b9b82-9822949.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Protesters try to remove a barricade as police hold it during clashes at an anti-government rally in Tirana, 2 July, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Albanian police fire water cannon as Trump-linked protests boil over\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2906797-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2906797\" data-cid=\"9822978\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2906797-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/82\/29\/78\/189x106_cmsv2_0a631976-d39f-51a5-90aa-d046ec3ee170-9822978.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"There are some budget airline routes to Asian destinations like Phuket if you go via the Middle East or India\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Destinations<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    How to fly to Asia from Europe for less\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2906747-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2906747\" data-cid=\"9822697\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2906747-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/82\/26\/97\/189x106_cmsv2_2f053cbc-7a45-5d1f-bcb4-f887f33d1479-9822697.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Air conditioning external units are seen on the wall of a building in Rome, Tuesday, July 25, 2023.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Brussels supports air conditioning\u2014but not as the main answer\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2906775-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2906775\" data-cid=\"9822834\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2906775-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/82\/28\/34\/189x106_cmsv2_fb112389-2c57-53ac-9d33-1086f4fd970b-9822834.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Workers complete an electric car on an assembly line during a press tour at a Volkswagen AG plant in Germany.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    EU car industry clashes over strategy to fight Chinese competitors\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Europe<\/p>\n<p>                          Europe News<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            Keir Starmer issues state apology for decades of forced adoptions practices in UK<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/82\/26\/66\/1536x864_cmsv2_8d4331a8-2b10-52dc-a0da-378fd68225f6-9822666.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"Britain&apos;s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, center, attends a meeting with campaigners to discuss historical forced adoption, at Downing Street, in London, Thursday July 2, 2026.\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              Britain&#8217;s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, center, attends a meeting with campaigners to discuss historical forced adoption, at Downing Street, in London, Thursday July 2, 2026.<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">Isabel Infantes\/Pool Photo via AP<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0Isabel Infantes\/Pool Photo via AP\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspEvelyn Ann-Marie Dom\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1782998306\">\n         Published on<br \/>\n            <time datetime=\"2026-07-02 15:18:26 +02:00\">02\/07\/2026 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decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"whatsapp\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Whatsapp<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"whatsapp\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        Previously, the then-Conservative government declined to apologise, arguing that the state had not supported these practices. Starmer has now acknowledged the government&#8217;s role in forced adoptions.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologised for the state&#8217;s role in decades of forced adoption of babies of tens of thousands of unwed mothers, calling it a &#8220;stain&#8221; on the country&#8217;s history.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Between 1949 and 1976, roughly 185,000 babies born to unwed mothers were adopted by married couples in England and Wales. <\/p>\n<p>Campaigners testified that they were pressured, misled, coerced or bullied into giving up their babies. Unmarried mothers were additionally shamed and forced to hide away in institutions while pregnant. <\/p>\n<p>Starmer met some of the campaigners on Thursday, some of whom were present in the public gallery of the House of Commons where the UK leader delivered the apology. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Children grew up believing that they were unwanted. Young mothers were told that they were immoral, and that their babies would be better off without them,&#8221; he said during the government&#8217;s formal apology in Parliament, acknowledging that the impact of such acts &#8220;lasts a lifetime&#8221;.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/82\/26\/66\/808x539_cmsv2_238de2d9-402d-568c-9613-604f8dd66479-9822666.jpg\" alt=\"Campaigners pose for a photo after a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss historical forced adoption, outside 10 Downing Street in London, July 2, 2026.\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">Campaigners pose for a photo after a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss historical forced adoption, outside 10 Downing Street in London, July 2, 2026.<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Isabel Infantes\/Pool Photo via AP<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In 2022, the Parliament\u2019s Joint Committee on Human Rights urged the British government to apologise for \u201cthe pain and suffering caused by public institutions and state employees that railroaded mothers into unwanted adoptions&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>The following year, the semiautonomous governments in Scotland and Wales issued apologies, but the conservative UK government refused to do so, arguing that \u201cthe state did not actively support these practices&#8221;.<\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;The shame is ours&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>Starmer, on the other hand, did hold societal institutions accountable for the role they played in the forced adoptions. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;These were not isolated or accidental acts, they were practices embedded within systems across local authorities, across voluntary and faith-based institutions, and in health and social care services,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe state bears responsibility for the systems it funded and legitimised which enabled these practices to occur,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6665\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/82\/26\/66\/808x539_cmsv2_a23fbc47-6ac4-5a8d-a461-608c408892bb-9822666.jpg\" alt=\"Britain&apos;s Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with campaigners to discuss historical forced adoption at Downing Street in London, 2 July, 2026\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">Britain&#8217;s Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with campaigners to discuss historical forced adoption at Downing Street in London, 2 July, 2026<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Campaigners have fought for years to receive an apology, what many describe as a necessary step to being released from the shame they received for giving up their babies. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The shame is not yours, the shame was never yours. The shame is ours,&#8221; Starmer concluded. <\/p>\n<p>In addition to the apology, Starmer also announced support for affected mothers and children, including better access to adoption records and mental health support.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Starmer sets out to strengthen UK and European defence with cash for drones and AI systems<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  NATO chief Mark Rutte welcomes UK&#8217;s long-awaited Defence Investment Plan<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Labour MPs mull leadership challenge after Starmer resigns<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto\">\n<ul id=\"adb-article-tags\" class=\"c-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Keir Starmer<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  United Kingdom<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Women&#8217;s rights<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Adoption<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"o-article-newsy__aside\">\n<div class=\"c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-1\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" 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for the state&#8217;s role in decades of forced adoption of babies of tens of thousands of unwed mothers, calling it a &#8220;stain&#8221; on the country&#8217;s history.Between 1949 and 1976, roughly 185,000 babies born to unwed mothers were adopted by married couples in England and Wales.Campaigners testified that they were pressured, misled, coerced or bullied into giving up their babies. Unmarried mothers were additionally shamed and forced to hide away in institutions while pregnant.Starmer met some of the campaigners on Thursday, some of whom were present in the public gallery of the House of Commons where the UK leader delivered the apology.&#8221;Children grew up believing that they were unwanted. Young mothers were told that they were immoral, and that their babies would be better off without them,&#8221; he said during the government&#8217;s formal apology in Parliament, acknowledging that the impact of such acts &#8220;lasts a lifetime&#8221;.In 2022, the Parliament\u2019s Joint Committee on Human Rights urged the British government to apologise for \u201cthe pain and suffering caused by public institutions and state employees that railroaded mothers into unwanted adoptions&#8221;.The following year, the semiautonomous governments in Scotland and Wales issued apologies, but the conservative UK government refused to do so, arguing that \u201cthe state did not actively support these practices&#8221;.&#8217;The shame is ours&#8217;Starmer, on the other hand, did hold societal institutions accountable for the role they played in the forced adoptions.&#8221;These were not isolated or accidental acts, they were practices embedded within systems across local authorities, across voluntary and faith-based institutions, and in health and social care services,&#8221; he said.\u201cThe state bears responsibility for the systems it funded and legitimised which enabled these practices to occur,\u201d he added.Campaigners have fought for years to receive an apology, what many describe as a necessary step to being released from the shame they received for giving up their babies.&#8221;The shame is not yours, the shame was never yours. The shame is ours,&#8221; Starmer concluded.In addition to the apology, Starmer also announced support for affected mothers and children, including better access to adoption records and mental health support.<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;http:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2026\/07\/02\/keir-starmer-issues-state-apology-for-decades-of-forced-adoptions-practices-in-uk&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/82\/26\/66\/1200x675_cmsv2_8d4331a8-2b10-52dc-a0da-378fd68225f6-9822666.jpg&#8221;] Europe News Albanian police fire water cannon as Trump-linked protests boil over Destinations How to fly to Asia from Europe for less Europe News Brussels supports air conditioning\u2014but not as the main answer Europe News EU car industry clashes over strategy to fight Chinese competitors Europe News Albanian police fire water cannon [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2023126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2023126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2023126"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2023126\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2023126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2023126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2023126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}