Ann Widdecombe, the former MP and MEP, has died aged 78 | Politics News

Ann Widdecombe, the former MP and MEP who also featured on Strictly Come Dancing, has died aged 78, her representative has said.

Ms Widdecombe served as a Conservative Party MP for Maidstone, Kent, for 23 years, from 1987 to 2010, and held several positions in Sir John Major’s government.

A statement from her management said: “It is with great sadness that today we announce the death of the Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe, DSG.

“We send our deepest condolences to Ann’s family and friends. We ask that the family’s wish not to be contacted at this sad time is respected.”

Politics latest: Ann Widdecombe has died

Ms Widdecombe left the Conservatives in 2019 and joined the Brexit Party, serving as an MEP representing South West England in Brussels between 2019 and 2020.

She joined Reform UK supporter in 2023, and made an appearance at the party’s conference the following year as its immigration spokesperson.

Reform leader Nigel Farage said: “When Ann Widdecombe decided to stand for The Brexit Party in the snap 2019 European Elections, it was a big moment and huge boost. The voters loved her.

“She played a decisive role in getting Brexit over the line and will be missed by us all.”

‘Firm views’

Health Secretary James Murray said Ms Widdecombe was “never shy of having quite firm views”, adding that everyone “can recognise the contribution that she made to politics”.

Mr Murray told Times Radio: “I think she’s been such a large part of our politics for many years. I mean, she was never shy of having quite firm views and sharing them quite willingly, and I can’t say I always agreed with her views, but she was such a part of our politics.

“I think everyone can kind of recognise the contribution that she made to politics and the role that she played in our public life.”

Ms Widdecombe also appeared on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, partnering with Anton Du Beke, in 2010.

She famously clashed with her Conservative colleague Michael Howard, when she was a Home Office minister and he was home secretary, describing him as having “something of the night about him”.

Ms Widdecombe also faced flak for defending a policy of chaining pregnant prisoners to their beds.

Prominent Eurosceptic

Throughout her political career, Ms Widdecombe was a prominent Eurosceptic, and supported the Vote Leave campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

In a statement, Ms Widdecombe’s management team, Cloud9 Management, said she “loved the cut and thrust of political debate”, and was a “consummate professional”.

Read more from Sky News:
Hosepipe ban for millions more people
Woman forced to bury husband in Cape Verde

The statement said: “Her life and career were driven by her strong Christian values and commitment to public service.

“She loved the cut and thrust of political debate and, 16 years after leaving Parliament, was still actively campaigning for Reform UK and offering forthright views on the hot topics of the day across numerous radio and television programmes. Ann was a valued patron of many causes, particularly her animal charities.

“As Ann once said on The Graham Norton Show, ‘we get one go this side of eternity, one go. Life is not a dress rehearsal, you take opportunities that you like and you go for it, that’s my philosophy’.

“A consummate professional and a delight to work with, indefatigable to the last, we know this news will come as a great shock to the many colleagues and friends she made along the way and our sympathies go to them and her family.”

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.