Ann Widdecombe, the former MP and MEP who also featured on Strictly Come Dancing, has died aged 78, her representative has said
Ann Widdecombe has died aged 78 (Image: Getty)
Ann Widdecombe, the former MP, MEP and champion of Brexit, has died aged 78, her representatives have said.
Widdecombe served as the Conservative MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years, representing the constituency from 1987 until 2010.
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She was appointed prisons minister under Prime Minister John Major, serving in the role from 1995 to 1997.
Widdecombe attempted to become Conservative leader in 2001 following William Hague’s resignation, but failed to garner enough support among her colleagues. In 2009, she also attempted to become Speaker of the House of Commons, but lost out to fellow Tory John Bercow.
Widdecombe stood down as an MP at the 2010 general election, ending her Parliamentary career. However, she did not step away from the limelight.
A Daily Express columnist for 20 years until 2025, she championed Brexit at the 2016 referendum to help convince Britain to leave the EU. After leaving the Conservative Party in 2019, to join the Brexit Party.
Widdecombe was among the UK’s last MEPs, serving from May 2019 until the UK left in early 2020 (Image: Getty)
She was succesfully elected to the European Parliament in 2019 for the Brexit Party, using her maiden Strasbourg speech to tell Europe: “Nous allons, wir gehen, we’re off!”
Widdecombe again stood for Parliament in the 2019 general election. She came third to Labour and the Conservatives in the Plymouth Sutton and Devonport constituency, but retained her deposit when few expected her to do so.
Later, she backed Reform UK in 2023. Most recently, she served as the party’s justice and immigration adviser.
Away from politics, Widdecombe became a household name after competing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, winning over many viewers despite consistently receiving low scores from the judges. She survived until week nine of the contest.
Other memorable TV spots include hosting panel show Have I Got News For You? twice and a special documentary with Louis Theroux in 2002.
Tributes began pouring in to Widdecombe on Friday (July 10), with Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice revealing he ‘spoke to her at length on Monday’.
He continued: “Utterly devastating. She was a true legend. She was a fantastic person to work with.
“Whether you loved her views or not, she had a clear view, and she argued it. She was an incredible orator, she had the audience absolutely spellbound. She was utterly fearless.
“I’m not sure they make them like that any more. We will miss her terribly.”
Widdecombe defected to the Brexit Party in 2019, pictured is her unveiling with Nigel Farage (Image: Getty)
The party’s Mayor for Greater Lincolnshire, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, said: “Rest in peace, Ann Widdecombe. 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.”
Durham County Council deputy leader Darren Grimes added: “Ann Widdecombe is gone, and Britain is smaller for it this morning.
“She went into politics to serve, not to be served, and working people trusted her because she never talked down to them. She was one of us. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.”
Reform’s Staffordshire County Council leader, Martin Murray, added: “I had the pleasure of meeting Ann on several occasions over the years, in various roles. A true powerhouse and honourable lady who stood for what she believed.”