Ann Widdecombe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ann Widdecombe
DSG
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Widdecombe in 2009
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| Minister of State for Prisons | |
| In office 28 February 1995 – 2 May 1997 |
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| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | Michael Forsyth |
| Succeeded by | Joyce Quin |
| Minister of State for Employment | |
| In office 27 May 1993 – 5 July 1995 |
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| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | Patrick McLoughlin |
| Succeeded by | Lord Henley |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security | |
| In office 30 November 1990 – 27 May 1993 |
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| Prime Minister | John Major |
| Preceded by | Gillian Shephard |
| Succeeded by | William Hague |
| Member of the European Parliament for South West England |
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| In office 2 July 2019 – 31 January 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Julia Reid |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Member of Parliament for Maidstone and The Weald Maidstone (1987–1997) |
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| In office 11 June 1987 – 12 April 2010 |
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| Preceded by | John Wells |
| Succeeded by | Helen Grant |
| Shadow Cabinet offices | |
| 1998–1999 | Shadow Secretary of State for Health |
| 1999–2001 | Shadow Home Secretary |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ann Noreen Widdecombe
4 October 1947 Bath, Somerset, England |
| Political party | Reform UK (2023–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Conservative (1976–2019) Brexit Party (2019–2021) Independent (2021–2023) |
| Residences | London, England Sutton Valence, Kent, England Haytor Vale, Dartmoor, Devon, England |
| Alma mater | University of Birmingham Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford |
Ann Noreen Widdecombe DSG (born 4 October 1947) is a British politician and television personality. Since 2023, she has been the Immigration and Justice spokesperson for Reform UK. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidstone and The Weald from 1987 to 2010. Before joining Reform UK, she was part of the Conservative Party and later the Brexit Party. She also served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South West England from 2019 to 2020.
Ann Widdecombe was born in Bath, Somerset. She studied Latin at the University of Birmingham. Later, she studied philosophy, politics and economics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. She changed her religion from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism. She held important government roles, including Minister of State for Employment (1994–1995) and Minister of State for Prisons (1995–1997). She was also a key member of the Shadow Cabinet of William Hague. There, she served as Shadow Secretary of State for Health (1998–1999) and Shadow Home Secretary (1999–2001). In 1997, she became a member of the Privy Council.
After leaving the House of Commons in 2010, Ann Widdecombe became well-known for her many TV and radio appearances. She strongly supported the UK leaving the European Union (EU). In 2016, she backed the Vote Leave campaign. She returned to politics in 2019 as a lead candidate for the Brexit Party. She won a seat in the European Parliament and served until the UK left the EU in January 2020. Ann Widdecombe describes herself as a social conservative. She believes in traditional values and conservative ideas. She has always supported strict laws for animal protection. She also opposed fox hunting.
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Early Life and Education
Ann Widdecombe was born in Bath, Somerset. Her mother was Rita Noreen Plummer. Her father, James Murray Widdecombe, worked for the Ministry of Defence. Her grandfather, James Henry Plummer, was from County Cork, Ireland.
She went to school in Singapore at the Royal Naval School. She also attended La Sainte Union Convent School in Bath. For university, she studied Latin at the University of Birmingham. Later, she went to Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. There, she studied philosophy, politics and economics. While at Oxford, she was secretary of the Oxford Union in 1971. She was also its treasurer in 1972. Before becoming an MP, she worked for Unilever from 1973 to 1975. Then, she worked as an administrator at the University of London from 1975 to 1987.
Political Career
In 1974, Ann Widdecombe worked as a personal assistant for Michael Ancram. This was during the general elections that year. From 1976 to 1978, she was a councillor for Runnymede District Council in Surrey.
She ran for Parliament in Burnley in 1979. She also ran against David Owen in Plymouth Devonport in 1983. In 1983, she helped start "Women and Families for Defence." This group was against the anti-nuclear Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp.
Ann Widdecombe was first elected to the House of Commons in 1987. She represented the Maidstone area for the Conservatives. This area later became Maidstone and The Weald in 1997.
In Government Roles
In 1990, Ann Widdecombe joined Prime Minister John Major's government. She became the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security. In 1993, she moved to the Department of Employment. The next year, she was promoted to Minister of State. In 1995, she joined the Home Office. She became the Minister of State for Prisons. In this role, she visited every prison in the UK.
Shadow Cabinet Roles
After the Conservative Party lost the 1997 general election, Ann Widdecombe took on new roles. She served as Shadow Health Secretary from 1998 to 1999. Then, she became Shadow Home Secretary from 1999 to 2001. These roles were under the leadership of William Hague.
Later Political Life
Ann Widdecombe decided not to run for Parliament in the 2010 general election. She retired from her role as an MP. There were rumors she might run for Police and Crime Commissioner in 2012, but she declined. She later spoke about her disagreement with the Coalition Government.
In 2016, she supported Brexit, which was the UK leaving the EU. After David Cameron resigned, she supported Andrea Leadsom for Conservative Party leader.
Return to Politics – Brexit Party
In 2019, Ann Widdecombe returned to politics. She became a candidate for the Brexit Party. She ran in the European Parliament elections for South West England. She said her decision was because the government had not delivered Brexit on time. She believed both main parties needed a "seismic shock." She won her seat and became a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). She was also part of the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.
In the general election of December 2019, she ran for a seat in the UK Parliament. She contested Plymouth Sutton and Devonport. She did not win, but she kept her deposit by getting enough votes. She served as an MEP until the UK left the EU on 31 January 2020.
Political Views
Ann Widdecombe is a committed Christian. She converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1993. This was after the Church of England decided to allow the ordination of women as priests. She explained that she felt the Catholic Church was more consistent.
She is a strong animal lover. She was one of the Conservative MPs who always voted to ban the hunting of foxes. In 2015, she signed a letter to MPs. This letter opposed plans to change the Hunting Act 2004.
Ann Widdecombe has expressed doubts about some claims regarding climate change. In 2007, she said she was skeptical that specific actions would prevent catastrophe. She was one of five MPs who voted against the Climate Change Act 2008. She also supported a parliamentary motion for homeopathy.
She has expressed traditional views on social issues. She believes in the importance of traditional values.
Media Work and Appearances
Since 2002, Ann Widdecombe has appeared on many TV and radio shows. In 2002, she was on the ITV show Celebrity Fit Club. She also appeared in a Louis Theroux documentary about her life. In 2005, she had her own show, Ann Widdecombe to the Rescue. On this show, she gave advice to families and couples.
She was a guest host on the news quiz Have I Got News for You twice. Her first appearance in 2006 was very popular. In 2007, she presented the University Challenge trophy to the winners. That same year, she appeared in an episode of Doctor Who. She also hosted a TV series called Ann Widdecombe Versus on ITV1. In this show, she confronted people about problems she wanted to solve.
In October 2010, she was a contestant on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with Anton du Beke. They were popular with viewers, even though the judges gave them low scores. They were eliminated after nine weeks. In 2012, she hosted Cleverdicks, a quiz show for Sky Atlantic. She also guest-hosted an episode of BBC's Songs of Praise.
In 2015, she took part in 24 Hours in the Past on BBC One. This series involved experiencing life as workers in 1840s Britain. In 2018, she participated in Celebrity Big Brother. She finished in second place. In 2019, she appeared on a celebrity version of The Crystal Maze. In 2020, she visited a prison in Norway for the documentary The World's Most Luxurious Prison.
Stage Acting Career
After retiring from politics, Ann Widdecombe began acting on stage. In December 2011, she made her stage debut in the Christmas pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She played the Lord Mayoress in an episode of Sooty in 2011.
She played the Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 2016. This was her first time playing a "baddie" in a pantomime. In December 2017, she played the Empress of China in the pantomime Aladdin.
Personal Life
Ann Widdecombe has never married or had children. She used to divide her time between homes in London and Kent. After retiring, she sold both and bought a house in Haytor Vale, Devon. She lived with her mother, Rita, until her mother's death in 2007. Her brother, Malcolm, was an Anglican canon and passed away in 2010. Her nephew, Roger, is also an Anglican priest.
Ann Widdecombe loves animals, especially cats and foxes. She has a section on her website, the Widdyweb, about her pet cats. She also adopted two goats from a sanctuary. Outside of politics, she writes novels and a weekly column for the Daily Express.
In 2011, she was President of the North of England Education Conference. She gave a speech supporting selective education. In 2012, she said she was writing her autobiography. Her book, 'Strictly Ann: The Autobiography', was published in 2013. It was described as "forthright" and "candid." She is also a patron of the charity Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land. She visited their sanctuary in the West Bank in 2014.
Honours
- Ann Widdecombe was made an Honorary Fellow of Canterbury Christ Church University in 2009.
- She received an honorary degree from the University of Birmingham in 2012.
Holy See: She was made a Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great (DSG) in 2013. This was for her work in politics and public life.
Selected Publications
Fiction
- 2000: The Clematis Tree
- 2002: An Act of Treachery
- 2005: Father Figure
- 2005: An Act of Peace
Non-fiction
- 1999: Inspired and Outspoken: the collected speeches of Ann Widdecombe
- 2004: The Mass is a Mess
Images for kids
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Widdecombe in 2009
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Widdecombe in an Any Questions? broadcast in 2016 at the Nexus Methodist Church, Bath
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Widdecombe at a book club hosted by Edwina Currie in Clapham, 2010
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Widdecombe in 2006
