Ann was 17 years old, a Christian, and most importantly – she was single. For some, 1960s Britain is popularly known as the ‘swinging sixties’ – where laissez-faire attitudes ruled the hearts and minds of many young people. But for Ann – or Ann Fox, as she was known at the time – the latter scenario was far from her lived experience. Coming from a proud, hard-working family in Wales, she knew she had to do what was considered ‘right’. The only option presented to her was adoption. Forced adoption. “It was,” Ann told Sky News, “for the greater good.” “Or so I was told. But ‘for the best’ had the most serious consequences.” Around 185,000 children were taken from their unmarried mothers and adopted between 1949 and 1976 in England and Wales. Women and girls who became pregnant out of wedlock were considered to have disgraced themselves. Image: Ann (right) worked as a pediatric nurse It was common for families and institutions – including schools and churches – to send expectant mothers away from their homes in order to hide their pregnancies. A new report by the Joint Commission on Human Rights puts the “ultimate responsibility” – for the pain and suffering of young mothers – on the government, arguing that it drove mothers into unwanted adoptions. Harriet Harman, Labor MP and chair of the committee, is calling on the government to apologize to these victims. He said: “(He needs to publicly, clearly and unequivocally acknowledge that what happened to these women was wrong. It would never happen now – and it should never have happened then.” The MP added that recognition would be a painful step not only for mothers – but also for their children. “It’s important for their children, who have grown up to say ‘your mother didn’t want you, she gave you away, you didn’t pay enough attention to her.’ He added: “(An apology) would say to the children very firmly: You separated from your mother without her consent.” Consent is the key word here. Ann says there was none – and that it was all about “controlling women”. She says she received no pain relief during her birth – a reminder of her “wicked” ways. A midwife told Ann that she had become “too attached” to her son – which was a problem as he was soon to be adopted. Consequently, unbeknownst to Ann, a few days after his birth, he was taken to a different building, away from her. She was devastated. She said: “A midwife told me I would never see him again. He took me into a cold bath – he made sure I was in the bath – and grabbed my breasts. He started pumping milk out of me – because he said he would never need to. “That’s when I knew I had no rights. I felt so lost… And I was scared.” Ann’s experiences, she says, led her to become a nurse and then an elected MP. What happened to her – she said – could never happen to anyone else again. A government spokesman claims: “We have our deepest sympathies with all those affected by forced adoption. “While we cannot undo the past, we have strengthened our law and practice to build on empathy.” Ann was reunited with her son in 1996. “Baby. You found my baby. Baby,” she kept repeating. But of course – a 27-year-old man entered. She told Sky News: “She had my bad humour. My husband Alan said we were of the same political spirit – that I had met my match!” Her self-esteem, however, is something the former health minister has always struggled with. An apology, she says, can help her healing journey by helping bring closure. “It’s not much to ask. But it’s a lot they can give. It’s a big thing they can give us back. “Our respect.”
