LONDON, July 2, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday formally apologised for the forced adoption of an estimated 185,000 babies born to unmarried mothers in England and Wales between 1949 and 1976, calling the scandal "a stain on our history".

"We are deeply and profoundly sorry to the mothers who were told they were unfit, who were prevented from caring for the children they desperately wanted ... and who have carried this loss for decades," Starmer told parliament.