Former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe dies at 78

newsJul 10, 202637915

Former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe has died aged 78, her agents Cloud 9 Management announced. Widdecombe served as MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years and was Home Office and employment minister in Sir John Major's government from 1994 to 1997. She later served as a Brexit Party MEP for South West England between 2019 and 2020, joined Nigel Farage's Reform UK in 2023 and acted as the party's immigration and justice spokesperson while still actively campaigning. Widdecombe built a public profile beyond Parliament with a 2010 run to the semi-finals of Strictly Come Dancing and a runner-up finish on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018. Her agents said her life was driven by strong Christian values and a commitment to public service. Widdecombe was a prominent pro-Brexit voice and a figure of controversy for socially conservative positions, including opposition to abortion and critical comments about the LGBT community; in 2019 she suggested science might one day "produce an answer" to being gay. Nigel Farage credited her with playing a "decisive role" in getting Brexit over the line and paid tribute to her contribution to the Brexit Party and Reform UK.

Rich Neville

@richneville.bsky.social

I was sorry to hear about Ann Widdecombe, but I imagine that will happen less now.

2281h ago

Disaster Ship Blonde

@disastershipblonde.bsky.social

My favourite Ann Widdecombe memory is of her and her film crew lumbering after a sex worker screeching "Aren't you ashamed?!" and immediately getting hit in the face with a can of lager.

2131h ago

idk |🏴‍☠️♠️ Ed Teach ♡ Izzy Hands IDST 🦄⚔🦈20

Lumbering is so evocative of Ann Widdecombe

Dr Seán DOOLAN 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇮🇪11

When minister for prisons, she said restraints should only be removed for pregnant prisoners once they were actually in labour. Otherwise they might escape by jumping from the first floor window of a medical facility.

Shihab S Joi 5

I can't find the one of her with her legs wide apart in that bollocks tory power stance only it looks like she's peeing

Peter Keen5

Poor woman. Just think how miserable her life must have been to trigger that amount of bile spewing.

A moon shadow3

And now she's being returned to sender unopened.

ross thomas2

All my memories of her are bad.

Miffythegamer

@miffythegamer.bsky.social

In tribute to that homophobic old trout, Ann Widdecombe, here’s one of my old Mills & Boon covers. The world is a better place without her.

711h ago

La Dama Bruja FBPE🇪🇺🇪🇸 🇺🇦 Good over evil.3

🤣😂 I now where I’d like to poke those needles.

Simon Sparkes 🇪🇺💙💚🗿1

Thanks for bringing the good news to my feed.

Natasha Devon

@natashadevon.bsky.social

I once had a really nice, agreeable chat with Ann Widdecombe about dogs and how wonderful they are. It’s probably the only thing we could have ever had a nice, agreeable chat about.

561h ago

Paul McNair1

Lost to curdled soul disease. There's gonna be an epidemic on a few years' time.

SMD

@anothersmd.bsky.social

I will say though, I'm slightly surprised that Ann Widdecombe didn't spawn a second health bar

401h ago

Paul Bernal

@paulbernal.bsky.social

On Ann Widdecombe: if your religion convinces you to be a bigot, the thing you should change should be your religion.

27Just now

Jack Graham

@timescarcass.bsky.social

The death of Ann Widdecombe does not warrant any tact or respect, let alone any sympathy. She was a cynical, cold hearted bigot. I hope she enjoys Hell.

281h ago

Jim Burke

@barcajim3.bsky.social

I'm sure Thatcher will be happy to see her www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

283h ago

flash kirstie gordon

@artie.gay

My favourite Ann Widdecombe memory is her going on the Today Show and complaining about all women shortlists because women nominated for parliamentary candidacy should have "beaten off the men in the usual manner"

15Just now

Quoting this

Lee Harvey (non-Oswald)3

What would she know about beating off men in the usual manner? Hayoo. Gottem.

Just Joshua

@noshayminthat.bsky.social

BBC News - Former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe dies at 78 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

173h ago

Da Skwire 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 ally

@daskwire.bsky.social

Bluesky's trending topics treating Ann Widdecombe's death with the respect it deserves.

Screenshot:
2. Ann Widdecombe (listed under Entertainment rather than Politics).

151h ago

Mike Foster

@swanmore.bsky.social

Ann Widdecombe was an uncharitable, un-Christian, unpleasant, egotistical contrarian who was only happy when she upset people she judged to be her opponents. Still, mustn't speak ill of the un-dead.

101h ago

Kara Jane Adams

@ghostinexile.bsky.social

Such a shame to wake up to the news about Ann Widdecombe. In a just world it would have happened years ago. In a perfect world she’d never have existed at all.

14Just now