Ann Widdecombe, the former minister, MP, MEP and champion of Brexit, has died aged 78.
Ms Widdecombe was an outspoken backer of leaving the EU, and served as a Member of the European Parliament for the Brexit Party.
She also served as a Tory MP for over two decades before leaving the Commons in 2010.
Nearly a decade later, Ms Widdecombe returned to elected politics, leaving her mark on the EU for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK precursor – and later would represent Reform as its immigration and justice spokeswoman.
News of Ms Widdecombe’s death emerged via her representative early on Friday morning.
And soon, many paid tribute to a leading figure on the right of British politics, with Britons hailing her as a “great lady”, a “rare character”, and a “towering legend”.
Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, told GB News she was an “incredible orator” and “incredibly fearless”, having known Ms Widdecombe since her involvement in the Brexit Party.
“We will miss her terribly, we will miss her sage advice”, Mr Tice said, adding that she was willing to “travel the length and breadth of the country” for the party.
Dame Andrea Jenkyns, the Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, described Ms Widdecombe as a “true political titan who served her country as an MP, Minister, and MEP with unwavering devotion to her principles”.
“She was a giant of public life, completely unapologetic in her views, and a one-of-a-kind character who left an indelible mark on Westminster and beyond. She will be greatly missed.”
Nadine Dorries, the former Culture Secretary – and like Ms Jenkyns and Ms Widdecombe, a Tory defector – described her as a mentor and guide.
She said she was “an incredible parliamentarian who knew Burke backwards and never received the recognition she deserved”.|
“She was a fearsome campaigner who gave barnstorming speeches at Conference and captivated the chamber in the Commons,” Ms Dorries added.
“As a new MP I jokingly referred to her as ‘Aunty Ann,’ as she knew the answer to every question and was a kindly mentor and guide.”
A respected author, she also wrote a weekly column for GB News – most recently penning a piece about Andy Burnham just last week.
The prominent Eurosceptic served in a number of cabinet positions in Conservative Governments throughout her time in Parliament as the MP for Maidstone, later Maidstone and The Weald.
From 1994 to 1995 she was the Employment Minister, next serving as the Prisons Minister from 1995 to 1997 under John Major.
She would later serve as Shadow Health Secretary and Shadow Home Secretary, from 1998 to 1999 and 1999 to 2001, respectively.
The former MP was known for her strong views on fox hunting, which she condemned as “cruel” and “rightly doomed”, despite most in her party voting to preserve the practice.
She stood as the Brexit Party MEP candidate for the South West in 2019 because of the Government’s failure to leave the European Union on time.
She served as an MEP until Britain left the EU in 2021, having also stood in the 2019 General Election for the constituency of Plymouth Sutton and Devonport.
In 2023, she became Reform UK’s spokeswoman for immigration and justice and was recently campaigning on the ground in the Makerfield by-election.
Ms Widdecombe found further fame outside Westminster for her time on Strictly Come Dancing, where she was partnered with Anton du Beke, winning the support of viewers if not the competition itself.
After leaving Parliament she appeared as a stage actor in pantomimes such as Aladdin and Snow White, and participated on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.
She wrote several novels, including her autobiography titled Strictly Ann: The Autobiography, which was described as “forthright” and “candid”.
A prominent Christian voice, she opposed measures such as assisted dying and called for zero-tolerance of cannabis use.
Ms Widdecombe never married, nor had children.
