Labour MP Tracy Gilbert, representing Edinburgh North and Leith, fought back tears in the House of Commons as she shared her personal experience of being adopted. She welcomed Prime Minister Keir Starmer's formal apology for the historic forced adoption of babies from unmarried mothers, a practice that saw newborns unnecessarily taken away and placed for adoption without regard for the mother's wishes.
Personal Story in the Commons
Speaking on July 2, 2026, Gilbert said: "As an adopted person born in 1972, I welcome today’s statement from the Prime Minister. I have no idea if my birth mother felt forced to have me adopted. I do know that prior to the birth she was in a Church of Scotland mother and baby home." She added that her adopted parents, now deceased, would not have wanted to adopt a child forcibly removed from their mother.
Prime Minister's Response
Starmer acknowledged the difficulty of sharing such a story, saying: "I salute her courage and resilience, and all those that have spoken out. To have to speak out about something which is so intensely difficult, over and over again, is incredibly, incredibly demanding, but the comfort I hope is not only that because of that you have been seen and heard, but that others will have the courage to speak out about what happened to them."
Impact and Previous Apologies
The practice affected an unknown number of families in Scotland. In March 2023, then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had already apologized on behalf of the Scottish Government for historic forced adoptions. The UK-wide apology from Starmer marks a further step in acknowledging the suffering caused.
