Cambridgeshire Police were called to the A14 eastbound between J20 and J21, near Huntingdon, just before 10am today (Thursday, July 2). The crash involved “at least three vehicles”, a police spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that a woman was injured, but the detail of the woman’s injuries were unknown. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue also attended the scene at around 10.30am.

National Highways reports there are around 60 minutes of delays along the road and around three miles of congestion. Traffic monitor site Inrix also reports there are “long delays” along the road.

CambridgeshireLive awaits further comment from the East of England Ambulance Service. More as we have it.

Astronomers have revealed new details about the make-up and age of a visiting comet that was born around a distant star. They conclude that the composition of 3I/Atlas is strikingly different from any object found in our solar system.

A trio of recently published studies shed light on the origins of this exotic comet. 3I/Atlas appears to have been born in a cold environment, possibly around 12 billion years ago.

The comet is an interstellar object (ISO), meaning an asteroid or comet that originated outside the solar system. It is the third such object found, after 1I/ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov. It was discovered almost exactly one year ago, travelling inbound on a trajectory that has taken it through the inner solar system and out the other side.

These distant origins make ISOs incredibly interesting to astronomers because they are physical pieces of other planetary systems, delivered to us on galactic tides so that they can be studied from the comfort of our own solar system.

As a comet, 3I/Atlas contained frozen ices that “sublimated” – turned directly from a solid to a gas. These escaped (outgassed) from the comet as it was heated by the Sun, creating a visually spectacular coma (bright atmosphere surrounding the object) and tail.

A comet has no internal light source of its own, instead dust in its coma reflects sunlight and its volatiles (chemicals that readily vaporise or sublimate) display fluorescence.

But this is no mere light show: each fluorescing molecule leaves a spectral fingerprint on the light reaching our telescopes. These fingerprints allow us to identify the chemicals contained within the comet.

They are revealed by splitting the light into its constituent wavelengths with a technique called spectroscopy, allowing astronomers to deduce the comet’s chemical composition.

Unique chemical cocktail

This revealed in 3I/Atlas a cocktail of water, carbon dioxide and monoxide, methane, cyanides, sulphides, and even free-floating iron and nickel atoms. These ingredients are actually quite expected, as each of them are regularly detected in our own domestic solar system comets. However, their relative abundances are different in 3I/Atlas: high levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and low levels of ammonia (NH₃) mark it as an outsider.

Additionally, molecules made up from atoms with different isotopes (distinct forms of the same chemical element) also have subtly different spectral signatures. With a bright comet such as 3I/Atlas, and with our largest and most sensitive telescopes, these signatures can be distinguished, allowing astronomers measure the comet’s isotope ratios.

One of the new studies, published in Nature, uses the spectral signatures of water and carbon dioxide measured with the James Webb Space Telescope to calculate 3I/Atlas’s ratio of two different isotopes of carbon, ¹²C and ¹³C, and its ratio of deuterium (a heavy form of hydrogen) to standard hydrogen – known as the D/H ratio.

These are very exciting results, because the isotope ratios present in an ISO such as 3I/Atlas should match the ratios in the protoplanetary disk in which it formed. This allows us to make detailed inferences about the conditions 3I/Atlas formed in and the star it must have formed around.

3I/Atlas’s water was found to have a D/H ratio of around 1%, significantly higher than all observed solar system comets. These high levels of deuterium are only found in very cold environments, with temperatures of less than 30 Kelvin (-243°C).

In these conditions, normal hydrogen atoms get replaced by heavier deuterium atoms in the water ice that coats tiny dust grains. Over time, these icy dust grains stick together to form comets.

Ancient traveller

3I/Atlas’ ¹²C/¹³C ratio was equally extreme, far above all solar system values. The ratio of these isotopes function like a cosmic clock. In the beginning, the first generation of stars produced carbon with a high ratio of ¹²C/¹³C, but subsequent cycles of star formation and death have lowered it. For 3I/Atlas to have formed with such a high value of ¹²C/¹³C, it must have formed in the very early history of the Milky Way, around 12 billion years ago.

Studies from shortly after its discovery suggested 3I/Atlas was likely to be at least 7 billion years old based on its velocity, meaning the ancient status of 3I/Atlas is now supported by multiple independent lines of evidence.

Though the night sky beyond the limits of our solar system can feel static and unchanging, both the universe and our galaxy do evolve on billion-year timescales.

When 3I/Atlas formed, the universe was just a fraction of its present age, and the Milky Way in which it formed was still in the process of assembling itself through violent collisions and mergers with other galaxies.

If the star that 3I/Atlas formed around was the same mass as our Sun, it is likely to have already reached the end of its life, outlived by the ISOs it released shortly after its birth.

Over the next ten years, cutting-edge discovery telescopes such as Nasa’s NEO Surveyor and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile will increase the number of known ISOs by an order of magnitude. This will provide astronomers with a fossil record of the evolution of planetary systems across galactic history.

The World Cup is not getting in the way of the summer window hitting remarkable heights as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool work on strengthening their squads with new signings. The Gunners are said to be exploring a deal for Bradley Barcola, despite Paris Saint-Germain being reluctant to sell. Morgan Rogers is a priority signing, and Bruno Guimaraes has been sounded out – and potentially had his head turned.

Fans, including a local celeb, of The Great British Sewing Bee have finally had their answer after confusion over the show’s return date prompted questions online.

The official Great British Sewing Bee Instagram account confirmed the BBC One favourite will return on Tuesday, July 14 at 8pm, after some viewers spotted reports suggesting a later launch date.

The programme’s social media team shared a post announcing: “The Bee is back” alongside details of the new series.

However, one fan quickly queried the date, commenting: “Hubby checked BBC website yesterday and it said 28th July! Please can you confirm which it is? Thanks.”

Responding directly, the official account reassured viewers that July 14 is the correct date.

The account replied: “This is the date. Was it definitely the BBC website he checked? A few outlets have been misreporting but it’s never confirmed unless it comes directly from us or the BBC.”

The response appears to have helped clear up uncertainty among fans who had seen conflicting reports about when the popular sewing competition would return to screens.

Others were quick to celebrate the news.

One viewer wrote: “Eeeeee I am sew excited.”

Former RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Danny Beard, from Bolton, also commented: “Loveeeeeeee.”

(Image: PA)

The new series will once again see amateur sewers compete in a series of challenges as they attempt to impress the judges and be crowned Britain’s best home sewist.

With the launch date now seemingly stitched up, fans can mark Tuesday, July 14 at 8pm firmly in their calendars.

Bringing her own trademark wit and warmth, Sophie will join judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young to lead Britain’s most creative stitchers through their challenges when the new series arrives on BBC One. She made her debut on the Christmas Celebrity Special.

Communities Secretary Steve Reed has written to councils explaining what they should do with rules in place

Pubs are in a race against time to get permission to open for England’s last 16 World Cup game after the government failed to grant blanket permission. The game is at 1am on Monday – meaning that if the pub wants to open they must secure the necessary permission from their local council first.

Last night the national team got past the Democratic Republic of Congo with two late goals from Harry Kane. The pub industry has been struggling, with it put down to changes in employment tax which has made it more difficult for the hospitality industry.

However, the World Cup has proven to be a fillip, with, during the group stage alone, UK pubs pouring an estimated 6.8 million extra pints of draught beer and cider. England’s fixtures accounted for 5.5 million of those, while Scotland’s group-stage run added a further 1.3 million.

Now they are hoping to open for the Mexico game, which could well be the last of the tournament as England will face one of the host nations in their home stadium, which is also at altitude, with the players having no time to acclimate.

During the tournament, the Home Office granted a national licensing hours relaxation covering matches at more conventional kick-off times: pubs in England and Wales can open until 1am for games starting between 5pm and 9pm, and until 2am for those kicking off between 9pm and 10pm, Caterer Licensee reported.

However, this dispensation does not extend to fixtures beginning after 10pm, meaning the England v Mexico match falls outside the automatic relaxation.

As a result, individual pubs wishing to stay open must apply to their local authority for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN), potentially permitting trading until 3.30am should the match go to extra time and penalties.

Communities Secretary Steve Reed has written to councils urging them to approve such applications wherever possible. However, the final decision rests with individual licensing authorities, and operators have been warned that approval is not guaranteed.

Publicans are being urged to check the statutory notice requirements before applying, after at least one operator reportedly had a TEN application refused because it fell short of the required five working days’ notice ahead of the event – a reminder that councils have no discretion to waive the statutory timeframe, even where a request is otherwise supported.

Venues without a TEN already in place are advised to contact their local licensing team as a matter of urgency if they intend to serve alcohol beyond their standard licensed hours for the match.

Pressure is growing on the government to give England fans a bank holiday on Monday – as the Mexico crunch last 16 game at the World Cup kicks off at 10am. Fans are bombarding outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with pleas.

It comes as only one in five employers are planning to give fans flexibile working hours to cope with the middle-of-the night fixture. Last night England came from behind to beat the Democratic Republic of Congo 2-1 after two late goals from captain Harry Kane.

Officials have currently said there are no plans for a new bank holiday – claiming ‘the current pattern of bank and public holidays is well established’. However it follows the descision in Scotland to give fans the Monday June 15 off after thwe game against Haiti in Boston with a 2am kick-off time.

Only one in five employers is planning to offer flexible working hours during the World Cup despite the timing of some of the games, new research suggests. England’s next match, against Mexico, kicks off at 1am on Monday, so fans will have had little sleep before going to work.

England manager Thomas Tuchel jokingly had a message for parents after last night’s win “Write an excuse for school and let them watch the game…”

A survey of 1,100 managers by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) found that only one in five employers plan to offer flexible working hours, such as adjusted start or finish times, to help staff watch World Cup matches.

A minority of firms are offering extended breaks, workplace screenings or additional leave options, according to the study.

Petra Wilton, director of policy at the CMI, said: “We’re not saying every England win deserves a bank holiday, but if millions of people have stayed up until 3am supporting their team, asking employers to let them start a little later the next morning is simply common sense.

“We’re saying to employers across the country: ‘let them start late’.

“The World Cup is a reminder of why flexible working matters. Great managers recognise that people have lives outside work, and when they offer sensible flexibility, whether that’s around caring responsibilities, medical appointments or even the occasional late-night sporting event, organisations benefit too through higher engagement, improved wellbeing, stronger retention and, ultimately, better performance.”

On X fans were taking to social media to demand the day off. JT said: “Got to pressure those in number 10 for a Bank Holiday Monday for that England vs Mexico game. Or as a nation we call in sick. “

David said: “Why are we not getting a Bank Holiday for the #England game? Scotland were granted one for their early morning games. Are we being made mugs of? #hcafc”

Formula said: “Surely it’s gotta be a bank holiday on Monday, England are playing in a World Cup round of 16 game against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in a match that starts at 1am UK time, everybody should be able to watch it so let the nation have a break the next day”

PHOENIX (AP) — For decades, all that separated the U.S. from Mexico was barbed wire.

Now, after a massive infusion of cash from Congress, President Donald Trump’s administration is swiftly building what it has dubbed a “smart wall,” a combination of 30-foot-tall (9-meter-tall) steel fencing and an array of sophisticated technology like sensors, cameras and towers allowing Border Patrol to surveil the territory.

The wall is under heavy scrutiny for the billions of dollars being dedicated to it when border crossings are at their lowest in decades. Critics say the U.S. is militarizing the border as it increasingly deploys sophisticated surveillance technology to the area, impacting local communities.

“We are seeing a massive expansion of surveillance and surveillance technology across the borderlands,” said Ricky Garza, border policy counsel at the Southern Border Communities Coalition, an advocacy group. “The wall in all its forms is harmful to communities.”

Officials say the technology is complementary to the physical wall and frees up agents for other tasks.

“It’s a smart wall. It’s not just a barrier,” Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said during recent congressional testimony. “It maximizes the use of our most valuable resource, which is our agents.”

Contracts for hundreds of miles of wall already inked

The wall has been a top priority for Trump, a Republican, since he first ran for president.

During the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, the border emerged as a flashpoint, with thousands of people seeking to cross into the country each day. Those numbers started to taper off shortly before Trump returned to office last year and then slowed to a trickle, with his broader immigration crackdown serving as a deterrent for would-be migrants.

Flush with $46 billion to finish the wall after an infusion by Congress for immigration enforcement, CBP is inking tens of billions of dollars in contracts to build the wall and push along the president’s signature project.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said recently that a preliminary part of the wall will be finished by “this time next year.” Scott said his agency is putting up 6 miles (10 kilometers) of wall a week.

Hundreds of miles had already been built before Trump returned to office. As of mid-June 2026, CBP has erected another 74 miles (119 kilometers) and aims to build hundreds more. There is no wall planned for roughly 535 miles (861 kilometers) of the roughly 2,000-mile-long (3,200-kilometer-long) border, because rugged terrain already serves as a barrier. Ground sensors and towers will be used instead.

CBP is also going back to hundreds of miles of already built wall and adding more technology, lights and roads. Along the long stretches of river in Texas that mark the border with Mexico, they’re deploying 12- to 15-foot-long (3.7- to 4.5-meter-long) cylinder-shaped buoys meant to keep migrants or smugglers from crossing the border.

More technology being deployed on the border

Technology is playing a greater role in the Trump administration’s effort to make illegal crossings along the border more difficult, part of a broader transformation of CBP in the years since Sept. 11, 2001, into an intelligence operation with a mass surveillance network whose reach extends far beyond the nation’s frontiers, according to reporting by The Associated Press.

And critics say the border technology poses a threat.

The Southern Border Communities Coalition says surveillance technologies can push migrants into more dangerous routes to avoid being detected.

Garza, the group’s policy counsel, warned that surveillance technology infringes on the privacy rights of border residents and that locals have found ground sensors used to detect smuggler or migrant traffic placed on their property without their consent.

Nayda Alvarez and her relatives own land along the Rio Grande roughly 125 miles (200 kilometers) inland from the Gulf of Mexico. She has found cameras placed on her family’s land, and just last week she spotted a surveillance tower about a quarter of a mile (almost half a kilometer) down the river from her house.

“Are we expecting a war or something?” she said. “It doesn’t make me feel safer.”

Dave Maass, director of investigations for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on civil liberties related to digital technology, said the technology has made the border area “a hostile environment” for locals and would-be migrants.

The foundation has published a guide on the various types of surveillance towers in use along the southern border designed to help local residents.

These can range from fixed towers with video, infrared and radar technologies that have a range of roughly 8 miles (13 kilometers) to remote video surveillance systems that have cameras and a spotlight fixed on top. Some are mounted on the backs of trucks so agents can drive them to different parts of the border.

Increasingly, these towers are autonomous. They can scan an area, analyze what they’re seeing using artificial intelligence and alert Border Patrol agents to something suspicious. Proponents say this helps keep Border Patrol agents out in the field instead of sitting in front of computer screens watching for activity. But it also increases AI decision-making along the border when experts have warned about the technology’s potential for bias or other problems.

The big GOP tax cuts and spending bill passed by Congress last summer requires that CBP buys only the autonomous towers, and the department is deploying an additional 95.

Underground, buried fiberoptic cables can sense movement, capturing data that is also then analyzed by AI.

“We follow the contour of the land. We go through trees. We go down into the river banks. We can go absolutely everywhere,” said Magnus McEwen-King, CEO of Sintela, which has a contract with CBP to install the cables. He spoke at a recent border security expo in Phoenix, where some of the technology was on display.

CBP also uses ground sensors and trail cameras to detect smuggling routes.

Concerns over cost and future plans

The nonpartisan watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense has questioned both the huge amounts of money for the wall-building and whether taxpayers are getting their money’s worth.

In 2011, under Democratic President Barack Obama, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano pulled the plug on a project to build a “virtual wall” of integrated technology like radars, sensors and cameras across the entire border after it ran over budget, faced technological glitches and was behind schedule.

Josh Sewell, director of research and policy at Taxpayers for Common Sense, said the organization would like to see more “robust evaluation” of the technologies being used to avoid similar scenarios. And he criticized the Trump administration for lack of oversight on how the money is being spent, a charge CBP has denied, citing “oversight mechanism.”

In the Big Bend area of southern Texas, opposition to the department’s wall-building plans gathered strong bipartisan support especially in the most sensitive areas that run through a state and national park and a wildlife area.

CBP now says it is not planning to build a 30-foot-high (9-meter-high) bollard wall in those areas. Its recently announced plans include installing patrol roads and some barriers designed to stop cars and using detection technologies.

Clara Benson, who is one of the founders of the No Big Bend Wall coalition, says bright lights in the area designed to illuminate the border could pollute the skies in an area renowned for having some of the best views of the stars. Even without a 30-foot-tall (9-meter-tall) steel wall running through the land, there is concern about CBP’s plans.

“There’s still a lot of fear and dread that the plan is still going to be quite damaging,” she said.

TG Jones sites across the UK are under threat following the company’s approval of a restructuring plan by the High Court on Wednesday.

Branches in Darlington, Durham, Northallerton, Middlesbrough, the Metrocentre and more could be at risk, though the company has not yet confirmed which locations will be affected.

The closures are part of plans to prevent the business from collapsing into insolvency.

Alex Willson, chief executive of TG Jones, said: “We welcome the court’s approval of our restructuring plan.

“This decision allows us to move ahead with our turnaround strategy.

“The plan protects the substantial core of the store estate and makes TG Jones a stronger, more sustainable business.

“We are incredibly grateful to all the colleagues, partners and stakeholders who engaged constructively throughout the process, and to Modella Capital for its continued financial commitment.”

TG Jones was formerly known as WH Smith until a rebrand last year, following its acquisition by Modella.

The WH Smith brand remains in use at airport and train stations.

The retailer warned previously that a major overhaul would be required to save the business, putting stores and jobs at risk.

During the court hearing, lawyers for TG Jones told the judge the company was “highly distressed” and could face an £8 million funding shortfall without immediate approval of its restructuring plan.

The court-approved plan secures a further £15 million loan from Modella Capital, adding to the £10 million already provided in April.

The scheme will also see reduced rent payments for landlords.

Mr Justice Hildyard said: “I am persuaded that it is the jurisdiction of the court to sanction both plans and it is my decision to do so.

“I did not find this to be an easy matter.”

The retailer operates around 450 stores and employs 4,700 staff, mostly in the UK.

The company has not confirmed how many workers will be affected by the closures.

Tom Smith KC, representing TG Jones, said an estimated 150 stores could close under the new plan, depending on landlord agreements.

He said the business had suffered from “long-term sales decline” as a result of high inflation, reduced consumer spending, the rise of online shopping and increased operating costs.

Mr Smith said TG Jones had also experienced a drop in sales since rebranding from WH Smith.

Keir Starmer today issued a formal apology to survivors of the forced adoption scandal, as he told them: ‘The shame is not yours, the shame was never yours, the shame is ours.’

The Prime Minister used a statement in the House of Commons on Thursday morning to say sorry on behalf of the nation.

He acknowledged the harm caused when an estimated 185,000 babies of unmarried mothers were adopted in England and Wales between 1949 and 1976, as a result of a culture of shame surrounding pregnancy outside marriage at the time.

‘It should never have happened and you should have not have had to fight so hard for this day to come,’ Sir Keir told survivors, including those who were watching in the Commons gallery.

‘But today, finally, I do say on behalf of the state and of behalf of the nation as a whole: We see you, we hear you and we are truly sorry.’

Sir Keir, who earlier met some of those mothers and adoptees impacted by the scandal in Downing Street, described the events as a ‘a stain on our history’.

The PM – who is due to hand over power to Andy Burnham as soon as 20 July – said he ‘found it hard to read the testimonies’ of those impacted, particularly as a father.

‘Mothers, many young, vulnerable, and without support were coerced, bullied, or misled into feeling that they had no choice but to have their children taken away from them. What a thing to do,’ he added.

But while Sir Keir set out new support services, he did not set out a financial redress scheme for mothers and their children – as Ireland and Australia did after their own formal apologies for the coerced removal of children from unmarried mothers.

The PM, who earlier met some of those mothers and adoptees impacted by the scandal in Downing Street , described the events as a ‘a stain on our history’.

Advertisement

Sir Keir said the forced adoption of babies was not ‘isolated or accidental acts’ but were ‘practices embedded within systems across local authorities, across voluntary and faith-based institutions, and in health and social care services, including parts of what is now the NHS’.

‘All institutions that operated with power over people’s lives, yet they did so without compassion, without consent, and without dignity or proper safeguards,’ he added. 

The PM said the harms caused by historical forced adoption were ‘compounded by the actions and failures of the state’.

‘Governments funded, enabled and relied on systems that were not consistently or effectively overseen,’ he continued.

‘The state did not prevent harm from continuing. The state bears responsibility for the systems it funded and legitimised, which enabled these practices to occur.

‘The state did not do enough to protect mothers, children, and families from harm, and for this systemic failure, I am truly sorry.’

Sir Keir said many of those affected by forced adoptions ‘suffered a further injustice’ in that they had to ‘fight for the basic human right to know their own story’.

He described how records were ‘lost, altered, or not made fully accessible to those seeking answers, and the whole process is painfully slow, traumatic, and dehumanising all over again’.

The PM promised a national online resource to create a single access point to locate records wherever they may be held across the country.

He also outlined how Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, is writing to to local authorities, regional adoption agencies, and voluntary adoption agencies to set out the expectation that requests for records should be responded to swiftly and with compassion and consistency.

‘We will establish national virtual peer-led support groups for mothers and adopted adults to improve access to ongoing trauma-informed support across the country, and we will work with NHS England to ensure those affected are taken seriously when they seek help,’ Sir Keir added.

‘This includes new support for clinicians to better understand the impact of forced adoption and respond appropriately in their care. NHS England will also explore how those who wish to do so can have their experience of forced adoption appropriately recorded in their health record.

‘And finally, to further recognise those affected and ensure we learn the lessons of the past, we will commission a testimonials project to capture the stories of those with experience of historic forced adoption practices.’

Diana Defries, who was among those to meet the PM in No10, said the apology was tinged with sadness as some who ‘worked tirelessly’ in their calls for one will not be around to hear it

Ann Keen, a former Labour health minister, was sent to a Swansea mother and baby home in 1966, when she was 17

Campaigners posed for a photograph after their meeting with Sir Keir in No10 to discuss historical forced adoption

Advertisement

Labour MP Tracy Gilbert held back tears in the Commons, as she spoke of her own experience of being adopted.

The MP for Edinburgh North and Leith said: ‘As an adopted person born in 1972 I welcome today’s statement from the PM.

‘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.

‘My adopted parents have since died, but I am sure they would not want to have adopted any child who had been forcibly removed from their mother.’

The Westminster apology comes three years after devolved administrations in Cardiff and Holyrood said sorry to people impacted across Wales and Scotland.

In Northern Ireland, an apology is also expected but not until after a public inquiry has been carried out, following a recommendation from a 2021 report on mother and baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses.

The UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) called for a state apology in 2022, saying ‘the Government bears ultimate responsibility for the pain and suffering caused by public institutions and state employees that railroaded mothers into unwanted adoptions’. 

Mothers forced to give up their babies have previously described the harrowing experiences of having them taken away and the lingering feelings of shame, while adults who were removed as children from their mothers have spoken of a ‘harmful narrative’ which long persisted that adoption had saved them.

Despite the JCHR report recommending ministers apologise, the then-Conservative government in 2023 said while it was sorry ‘on behalf of society’ for the way the women had been treated, it did not think a formal apology appropriate ‘since the state did not actively support these practices’.

Two weeks ago, the Church of England apologised for its role in forced adoptions, telling survivors the ‘shame is ours’.

Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally said the impact on families had been ‘lifelong’ for many and noted survivors having spoken of the ‘indignity’ they faced.

She apologised for the ‘pain, trauma and stigma’ caused to those affected, adding that there was a deep shame that the practice had happened to people ‘in the care of Christian communities’.

Thursday’s state apology comes almost exactly two years after a key campaigner, whose daughter was taken from her as a baby in the 1960s, died.

Veronica Smith, who died on June 29 2024, co-founded the Movement for an Adoption Apology (MAA), in 2010 to seek justice for all those who had suffered.

Current MAA chairwoman Diana Defries, who was among those to meet the PM in Downing Street, said the state apology would be tinged with sadness as some mothers who ‘worked tirelessly’ in their calls for one will not be around to hear it.

Ms Defries – who had not long turned 17 when her own baby daughter was forcibly adopted in the 1970s – said it is ‘so sad’ Ms Smith did not live to see the Westminster Government finally issue an apology.

She added that some other long-time campaigners are now too frail to be part of the day.

Ms Defries said: ‘Campaigners have been working for decades, long before me.

‘And the worst part is that I stepped into a dead woman’s shoes to keep it going and it’s a tragedy for me personally and obviously for her family that she’s not here.

‘It’s hugely poignant. It’s great that they (the Government) are actually doing something and that they’re acknowledging this injustice but it’s so sad that these people who worked tirelessly for a very long time won’t be part of it.’

Meanwhile, a former Labour health minister and forced adoption survivor has said she is looking forward to ‘being released from my shame’ when she and other campaigners get a state apology.

Ann Keen was sent to a Swansea mother and baby home in 1966, when she was 17.

Asked if she would accept the Government apology, Ms Keen told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘Oh, absolutely, we all need this apology because we have always been accused of giving up our babies and we didn’t give them up.

‘In particular, so many were taken without our knowledge and in my own instance, I went to see my baby on the eighth day because I was told I could have him for 10 and they said: ‘Oh no, he’s gone now. You were getting far too close’.’

Ms Keen, who was the MP for Brentford and Isleworth for 13 years, said she thinks the Government has ‘done the best they could, because it’s so complex’.

‘I understand why the Prime Minister’s team wanted to get this right, because we’ve now got the opportunity to really put this wrong right, we’ve been waiting a long time, and so today I’m just looking forward to today and being released from my shame,’ she added.

Campaigners from the Adult Adoptee Movement (AAM) said: ‘This apology is for the adoptees who were taken at their most vulnerable and sent to strangers.

‘For those who lost their wider family, medical history, culture, language or nationality. For those who suffered abuse, neglect or racism in their adoptive homes; who grew up hearing they were from ‘bad blood’, should be ‘grateful’, or had been ‘saved’.

‘For those subjected to the brutal, systemic racism of the adoption system who were judged ‘less than’ because of race.

‘For those who, due to disability or medical conditions, were judged less worthy of love and care. For those who were deceived about their origins.

‘For those who live with the long-term physical and mental health consequences of adoption. For those who have died.

‘It marks a fundamental correction of the narrative on historic adoption practices. What happened to you was wrong.’

The AAM added: ‘The measure of this apology will not be the words spoken today, but the actions taken tomorrow.’

The Hillsborough talks are being attended by Sinn Féin, the DUP, the Alliance Party and the Ulster Unionists

The UK Government has been urged to fix the “faultline” in how Northern Ireland is funded as ministers meet with Stormont leaders over the budget crisis.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill said she believed the financial discussions were “scene-setting” for when Andy Burnham becomes the next prime minister.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has invited the leaders of the devolved parties to talks at Hillsborough Castle on Thursday.

The chief secretary to the Treasury, Lucy Rigby MP, is also attending.

Stormont ministers have failed to agree a budget for the current financial year, with departments operating on contingency budgets since April.

Ministers have consistently made the point that they need more funding from the Treasury to address a funding crisis facing public services in Northern Ireland.

The Hillsborough talks are being attended by Sinn Féin, the DUP, the Alliance Party and the Ulster Unionists.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and vice president Ms O’Neill were among their party’s delegation.

Ms McDonald said there was a “very, very significant deficit” in how Northern Ireland was funded compared to Scotland or Wales.

She said: “We are on common ground with all of the parties of the Executive, and we are here to make the case for proper funding.

“The failure of the British government and the British state to fund this place correctly isn’t a phase. It’s not just a moment in time. This is a permanent fixture.

“I think it is a matter of huge frustration for everybody around the Executive table, for all of the political parties, that we are constantly in this position, that we are constantly in a position where we have to just ask for the basic level of funding to ensure that the level of service provision and opportunity is provided to people here.”

Referring to the likelihood Mr Burnham becoming the next prime minister, Ms O’Neill said “the face might change, but the policy never does”.

She added: “Since I came into my leadership role, this is my seventh British prime minister in 10 years.

“That underlines the chaos of Westminster.”

She added: “I think today’s budget discussion is very much scene-setting for Andy Burnham, the incoming prime minister.

“I have a real sense of déjà vu this morning, a real sense that we come here, we make our case, we’ll actually all be making our case for the funding model that our people deserve.

“And then, potentially, what happens at the end of these processes that we get some sort of cash injection that’s a one off, that does not fix the problem that we have.

“Do they want to fix the faultline?

“And fixing the faultline means addressing the unfairness, it means making sure they have a proper funded model that allows us to invest in our public services, that allows us to invest in people, that allows us the levers in which to grow our economy.”

Ms O’Neill said: “There’s a choice to be made, do more of the same and throw a few pound at a problem, hopefully it goes away, and then revert back to this conversation again next year.

“Or actually fix the fundamentals and fix the faultine and actually invest properly.”

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long said it was an “important day” for Northern Ireland’s finances.

She said: “We’ve been very clear now for a long time that we still believe, despite recent changes to the funding formula in Northern Ireland, we remain funded below need.

“That is a real challenge. It’s not just an opinion, it is something that has been raised now by a number of independent assessments that recognise that Scotland and Wales are both funded above need and Northern Ireland below need.

“That has to be dealt with because it has serious issues and consequences for our public services.”

Ms Long added: “We also have to talk about how we get out of the mess of current again, because so far what we have had is every time there’s a crisis, people ride in like a white knight with a chequebook and fill the gap in order to allow the Assembly to continue and to stabilise things, but that isn’t that isn’t a formula for sustainability.

“All that leads to is short term gain with no long term sustainability and stability in our finances.

“What we need now is a properly funded programme that will last over a number of years into the term of the future Executive.”

Ulster Unionist leader Jon Burrows said calls for more funding had to be accompanied with a recognition that better government was needed at Stormont.

He said: “We need to be credible and responsible, negotiate hard for more money, spend it more wisely, cut waste.

“We’ll also be making the case to help Northern Ireland grow by getting things like cuts in corporation tax, in VAT and hospitality and tourism that allows us to compete better with the Irish Republic.”

He added: “We will be arguing very hard for the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland to get a better settlement for the people of Northern Ireland, but we will be honest with the Secretary of State that we also think politicians here can do better in spending that money more wisely.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.