Ann Noreen Widdecombe DSG (4 October 1947 โ c. 8 July 2026) was a British politician and television personality. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidstone and The Weald from 1987 to 2010.
๐ Early Life and Education
Born in Bath, Somerset, she read Latin at the University of Birmingham and then PPE at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. She served one term as secretary of the Oxford Union in 1971 and one term as its treasurer in 1972.
๐๏ธ Political Career
Widdecombe served as Minister of State for Employment from 1994 to 1995 and Minister of State for Prisons from 1995 to 1997. She later served as Shadow Secretary of State for Health from 1998 to 1999 and Shadow Home Secretary from 1999 to 2001.
๐บ Television and Later Politics
She was a contestant on the eighth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 and runner-up of Celebrity Big Brother in 2018. She returned to politics as a Brexit Party MEP for South West England from 2019 to 2020 and joined Reform UK in 2023.
โ๏ธ Key Positions and Death
Widdecombe opposed the legality of abortion and supported the reintroduction of the death penalty for murder. She was found dead at her home on Dartmoor, Devon, on 9 July 2026, aged 78.
| Role | Party | Years | Constituency/Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| MP | Conservative | 1987โ2010 | Maidstone and The Weald |
| MEP | Brexit Party | 2019โ2020 | South West England |
| Shadow Home Secretary | Conservative | 1999โ2001 | House of Commons |
| Spokesperson | Reform UK | 2023โ2026 | Immigration and Justice |