Breaking News: Former MP Ann Widdecombe Passes Away
Former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe has died at the age of 78. Widdecombe served as the MP for Maidstone for 23 years and held ministerial roles in Sir John Major’s government from 1994 to 1997.
After leaving Parliament in 2010, she gained fame on television, participating in BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and finishing as a runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018. In 2019, she joined the Brexit Party and represented South West England as an MEP until 2020.
On Sunday, around 40 mourners gathered in Haytor Vale to pay tribute to Widdecombe. Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK, expressed shock at her passing, calling her a “colossus” and a “legend.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged her death as a “significant loss,” urging people to rise above political differences. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described Widdecombe as a “fun and feisty woman,” while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage praised her as a “remarkable individual” and a strong defender of free speech.
Further details about her funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
