July 2026 Fellows' update: Jeannot Farmer

Jeannot Farmer (CF 2023 ) was in the public gallery at the Houses of Parliament on the 2nd July 2026 when Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, made his profound apology to those affected by historic adoption practices that forcibly separated babies from their unmarried mothers.

Jeannot was honoured to be invited by the Secretary of State for Education to an event in Speaker’s House following the apology.

Commenting on the event, Jeannot said: "This was a landmark day and gave cause for celebration. However, the true value of this apology will rest on what comes next.

My Churchill Fellowship was focused on what happened in different states of Australia following the apology given by their Prime Minister Julia Gillard in 2013. Twenty recommendations were issued by the Australian Commonwealth government and implemented in different ways and to different degrees in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. I learned about which measures had impact, which failed and which absorbed significant public funding for little satisfaction. I learned that the most important reparative outcome is ensuring that the truth is told.

This surely illustrates the relevant and timely learning that Churchill Fellows can bring."