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Former MP and Strictly icon Ann Widdecombe dies aged 78 as tributes pour in

Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative MP and MEP, has died aged 78, her representatives have said. The Brexit champion was also a familiar face on TV, memorably appearing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2010

[Ann Widdecombe has died at the age of 78]

Ann Widdecombe has died at the age of 78(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

Ann Widdecombe, the former MP, MEP and staunch advocate of Brexit, has passed away at the age of 78, according to her representatives. Widdecombe represented the constituency of Maidstone in Kent as a Conservative MP for 23 years, serving from 1987 until 2010.

She was appointed as prisons minister under Prime Minister John Major, holding the position from 1995 to 1997. Following William Hague's resignation, Widdecombe made an unsuccessful bid for the Conservative leadership in 2001, failing to secure sufficient backing among her peers. In 2009, she also vied for the role of Speaker of the House of Commons, but was defeated by fellow Tory John Bercow.

Widdecombe retired as an MP at the 2010 general election, marking the end of her Parliamentary career. However, she remained firmly in the public eye.

[Widdecombe was among the UK's last MEPs, serving from May 2019 until the UK left in early 2020]

Widdecombe was among the UK's last MEPs, serving from May 2019 until the UK left in early 2020(Image: Getty)

She was a vocal supporter of Brexit during the 2016 referendum, helping to persuade Britain to exit the EU. After departing the Conservative Party in 2019, she joined the ranks of the Brexit Party.

In 2019, she was successfully elected to the European Parliament representing the Brexit Party, using her inaugural Strasbourg speech to declare to Europe: "Nous allons, wir gehen, we're off!".

Widdecombe once again contested a seat in Parliament during the 2019 general election. She finished third behind Labour and the Conservatives in the Plymouth Sutton and Devonport constituency, but managed to retain her deposit when few predicted she would.

Later, she threw her support behind Reform UK in 2023. Most recently, she served as the party's justice and immigration adviser.

Beyond politics, Widdecombe became a familiar face after taking part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, charming numerous viewers despite regularly receiving poor marks from the judges. She lasted until week nine of the competition.

[She has died, age 78]

She has died, age 78(Image: PA)

Other notable television appearances include presenting panel show Have I Got News For You? on two occasions and featuring in a special documentary with Louis Theroux in 2002.

Tributes started flooding in for Widdecombe on Friday (July 10), with Reform UK's Mayor for Greater Lincolnshire, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, saying: "Rest in peace, Ann Widdecombe. A true political titan who served her country as an MP, Minister, and MEP with unwavering devotion to her principles.

"She was a giant of public life, completely unapologetic in her views, and a one-of-a-kind character who left an indelible mark on Westminster and beyond. She will be greatly missed."

Durham County Council deputy leader Darren Grimes added: "Ann Widdecombe is gone, and Britain is smaller for it this morning.

"She went into politics to serve, not to be served, and working people trusted her because she never talked down to them. She was one of us. May she rest in peace and rise in glory."

Reform's Staffordshire County Council leader, Martin Murray, added: "I had the pleasure of meeting Ann on several occasions over the years, in various roles. A true powerhouse and honourable lady who stood for what she believed."

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