“She dared to be a Daniel, she dared to stand alone”: Tributes to Ann Widdecombe

Ann Widdecombe: 4 October 1947 – c. 8 July 2026 | Image by: Colin McPherson / Alamy

Ann Widdecombe was a fearless and faithful friend, writes Lord Alton

In 1979 we nearly became election opponents when she and Frank Field chased the Conservative and Labour nominations in the by-election at Liverpool Edge Hill.

Nine years later, now MP for Maidstone, Ann joined the Standing Committee on my Private Members’ Bill to reduce the 28 weeks upper time limit for abortion. At meetings all over the UK we spoke at public meetings explaining why, despite other political differences, we were united by our belief in the right to life.

Ann had been deeply shocked by the Carlisle baby case – a baby aborted at 21 weeks gestation – and she later asked the Commons, “how can one accept, when a child has been breathing without the aid of artificial equipment, has a pulse rate and has survived for three hours, that that was not a live birth? Under what circumstances do we call a person an unperson?”

She never hesitated to ask difficult questions.

She loathed eugenics, human cloning and experiments on human embryos and feared assisted suicide would endanger people with disabilities.

With CS Lewis she also believed that if you are cruel to other species, it wouldn’t be long before you are cruel to human beings too. 

Her love of animals led her to accept the presidency of societies caring for donkeys and hedgehogs, and to her rescuing stray cats: Pugwash and Carruthers being two of the most notable.

One night, driving her to a meeting in the north of England, I was told to “stop the car”: She had seen a stranded hedgehog. It was rescued and taken to safety.

She passionately opposed fox hunting – unlike some of her local party who tabled a hostile motion at an AGM.

I secured a supportive statement for her from a retired general who wrote to her party members: “I fought the Mau Mau and she’s exactly the person I would have wanted standing alongside me.” She successfully saw off the motion.

As I got to know Ann, I rapidly realised that behind the sometimes-gruff exterior was a principled, extraordinarily articulate, intelligent woman – not easily deterred. Her formidable debating skills, developed as a student in the Oxford Union, were deployed to great effect for all her causes – political, social, and charitable.

She was also intensely kind – to family, friends, and strangers. 

In her mother’s final years, Ann brought Rita to live with her in London – telling me that, just as her mother had cared for her when she came into the world, she would care for her beloved mother as she left this world for the next. She did just that.

After one combative session on a Home Office bill, she told me, 'you are still my favourite bleeding-heart liberal'. I took it as a compliment

As a godmother to one of my children she unfailingly always asked after him, travelling miles to be with him for his baptism and first communion.

I saw that kindness in terrible tragedy too.

We shared Sir David Amess as a good friend. 

Following David’s appalling murder, and totally in character, Ann remained close to Julia, David’s widow, showing practical and continuing care, celebrating David’s life when we attended the unveiling of his statue in Southend. 

Ann’s convictions were underpinned by the twin pillars of her faith and patriotism, insisting that we must use our lives to the full: “We get one go this side of eternity, one go. Life is not a dress rehearsal.”

Her faith manifested itself in her causes, through support for charities for the persecuted, the vulnerable, the poor – through the work of Right to Life, the Leprosy Mission, the St Vincent de Paul Society. It expressed itself in her devotion to Mother Teresa – whom she met at Westminster – and whom she later defended against Christopher Hitchens and in a 2016 BBC Songs of Praise programme exploring the characteristics of a saint.

In 2013, in recognition of Ann’s work, Pope Benedict named her a Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great.

Ann’s patriotism had its roots in her upbringing – partly in Singapore, where the father she adored had worked as a civil servant in the Ministry of Defence. In June, in our last conversation together – in Kennington over a favourite tandoori masala – we shared our concerns about the UK’s lack of preparedness as we face the “deadly quartet” of dictatorships threatening our freedoms.

Whether you agreed with Ann, or not, her forthright views were always trenchantly, intelligently, and honestly expressed and never with malice. In a toxic climate of inflammatory hate speech, that respect for difference must be the key to learning to live together.

Even when Ann and I were on opposite sides of political arguments, we agreed to disagree and never fell out. After one combative session on a Home Office bill, she told me, “you are still my favourite bleeding-heart liberal”. I took it as a compliment.

In 1993 to mark her decision to become a Catholic she chose the hymns at the weekly mass in the Westminster chapel of St Mary Undercroft.

The last of those hymns was Faith of Our Fathers. Its final verse has a particularly poignant resonance:

…we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife,
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life.
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death!”

Ann was always true to herself.

May she now rest in peace.

Lord Alton of Liverpool is a crossbench peer

Above all, Ann Widdecombe was a public servant and politician of conviction and high moral principles, writes Baroness Hoey

“Well Kate, at least we are both still around!” Those were the last words spoken to me by Ann Widdecombe just a couple of weeks before her murder. We were at a reception in Westminster chatting about the ups and downs of getting older whilst also remarking on how well we both felt.

Waking up to news of her death, I remembered that night and the friendship and camaraderie we enjoyed. Also issues on which we found ourselves in profound disagreement, such as hunting, where we campaigned on opposing sides, yet without rancour. In fact the reverse; we shared for one another that respect and affection which comes from recognition of a kindred spirit even if, at times, political opponents.

When she was a Conservative member, Ann sometimes found herself out of step with many of her fellow members, and indeed with party policy, as did I in mine. In doing so, she became far more widely known and recognised – both liked and loathed – than many of her contemporaries in parliament. She dared to be a Daniel, she dared to stand alone.

Ann could cope equally well with congratulation or confrontation, returning heckles with humour

Above all, Ann was a public servant and politician of conviction and high moral principles and of deep religious conviction guiding her every thought and action. This faith enabled her – indeed demanded of her, with true Christian love of her neighbour – to overcome the divisions that arise in public and political life between those of sincere yet differing opinions and goals. Such generosity of spirit was a far cry from the shockingly spiteful comments made by self-regarding commentators when she died. 

Two years ago, as a Reform UK party spokesperson, Ann addressed a pro-union meeting at Dromore Orange Hall in County Down. Speaking against the post-Brexit

Northern Ireland Protocol, she declared to a rousing reception from the audience: “I’m Ann Widdecombe, I’m a Roman Catholic and I’m in an Orange hall.” The audience rose to their feet as one. Earlier we had toured the Titanic exhibition and talked about her dedication to Reform UK and her respect and indeed love for Nigel Farage. 

Ann could cope equally well with congratulation or confrontation, returning heckles with humour. She was steely yet kind, warmed by wit and a roustabout spirit. That is why so many of the public loved her and now mourn her, as will those of us privileged to have known her more closely. Our sense of loss is magnified by the terrible cruelty of her murder.

Sadly Ann is now no longer around but millions who admired her and shared her values will carry forward her battle for the nation she loved.

Baroness Hoey is a non-affiliated peer

Ann Widdecombe and I did not always agree – but I recall fondly that we laughed a lot, writes Baroness Browning

In June 1983 Ann Widdecombe made her second unsuccessful attempt to win a seat in a general election, this time in Plymouth Devonport fighting against David Owen of the SDP Alliance.

Keen to support a woman candidate, this was where I first met Ann. As soon as the election was over Ann returned to London where her doctor confirmed that she had been campaigning while suffering from pneumonia.

We became friends. Ann was ahead of me in the quest to become an MP. She had done battle in both Burnley and Plymouth Devonport, I was looking to fight my first seat.

There were no training courses or mentors for candidates in those days and we agreed to work together: Ann now determined to find a ‘safe’ seat and me wanting a first attempt.

We also found we had things in common. Ann was a speaker for Women for Defence. I was a speaker for Peace Through Nato. Both organisations debated with CND and others opposed to nuclear deterrence. We debated around the country and on one occasion in Ireland, at the Tipperary Peace Festival, Monsignor Bruce Kent challenged us to debate back home. We hired the Drum Theatre in Plymouth for a public debate, which we won.

There were no training courses or mentors for candidates in those days and we agreed to work together... I learned a lot from Ann

I learned a lot from Ann who encouraged me to produce press releases and press conferences in the days before the internet.

We did not always agree; Ann held strong views on most subjects but I recall fondly that we laughed a lot. Ann had a good sense of humour. After one debate in Exeter a lady I knew from the Conservative Party asked me if we would come and give a talk in Budleigh Salterton. She said she would consult her committee. I heard nothing but seeing her some weeks later she said, “Oh my dear, I did consult the committee but I am afraid they thought you and Ann are ‘too fast’ for Budleigh Salterton.” An expression I had always considered to have certain connotations. We roared with laughter.

As we approached the 1987 election we started applying for constituencies, sometimes being interviewed for the same seat.

All was well. Ann won her Maidstone seat in 1987 and took her seat in Parliament. I unsuccessfully fought Crewe and Nantwich, later joining Ann in Parliament in 1992 representing my home seat of Tiverton.

We served together in the John Major government as ministers and in William Hague's shadow cabinet.

They were great times: it is how I will remember Ann.

Baroness Browning is a Conservative peer

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