The UK Government has issued a formal apology for historic forced adoptions of babies from unmarried mothers, a practice described by Prime Minister Keir Starmer as a "stain on our history." The apology came as Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin shared a tearful personal account in the House of Commons about her mother being pressured into giving up a baby for adoption.
Ms. Pochin revealed that the secret of her mother's forced adoption, handled by the church, was carried "to her grave." She discovered the truth after her mother's death and subsequently used private means to locate and reunite with her sibling. "My own mother was pressurised into giving up a baby for adoption, and this was handled by the church. I only found out after her death, she carried her secret to her grave," Ms. Pochin told MPs. She added that her attempt to find her sibling initially drew a blank and required private payment for reunification.
Sir Keir praised Ms. Pochin's "huge courage" for sharing her story, highlighting it as an example of the difficulties faced by those affected and the silence surrounding the issue. He acknowledged that her experience demonstrated the need for a less painful process for family reunification. "I'm glad that there has been that reuniting, but it can't be the painful journey that she's just described. We have to do better than that, and we will," he stated.
It is estimated that between 1949 and 1976, approximately 185,000 babies born to unmarried mothers were forcibly adopted in England and Wales, though Sir Keir suggested the number could be higher. While the governments of Cardiff and Holyrood issued apologies in 2023, this marks the first official apology from the UK Government.
In a meeting with campaigners at Downing Street prior to the parliamentary statement, Sir Keir told affected women that they had endured a "double injustice" by waiting for a state apology. He characterized the mothers' experiences, stating they "were coerced, bullied, or misled into feeling that they had no choice but to have their children taken away from them," adding that "this should never have happened."
The Prime Minister formally apologized "to the mothers who were told they were unfit, who were prevented from caring for the children they desperately wanted to help and to keep, and who have carried this loss for decades." To aid in locating adoption records, the Government announced funding for a national online resource, with Sir Keir promising to make it as complete and accessible as possible.