Prime Minister Keir Starmer has issued a formal apology in the House of Commons for the British state's role in historic forced adoption practices that separated unmarried mothers from their babies across decades.

In a statement published by GOV.UK, Starmer acknowledged the harm suffered by mothers and adult adoptees and said the state had failed people who were shamed, coerced or left without meaningful choice. The apology follows years of campaigning by survivors and families who argued that previous acknowledgements did not fully recognise the role of public institutions.

current reports show that the government announced support including funding for access to records, family reconnection and lived-experience work. Campaigners welcomed the apology but continued to call for stronger redress and long-term trauma-informed support.

The issue reaches beyond symbolic politics. Many mothers who lost children were young, unmarried and subject to intense social stigma. Many adoptees grew up without access to full family records, medical histories or answers about the circumstances of their separation.

A state apology does not undo that harm. But it changes the official record. The next test is whether the support announced is sufficient, how quickly records access improves, and whether the government will consider a broader redress scheme.