Ann Widdecombe's life in pictures: From Tory stalwart to Brexit buccaneer

Her appearance – “I am toothy, dumpy, ugly, overweight, a spinster – what the hell” – brought cascades of cruel derision on her shoulders, both from political journalists and politicians alike.

Once, even her own front-bench Conservative colleagues orchestrated a crude and short-lived campaign of ridicule against her over her total opposition to drugs.

But she took all the flak without flinching, sometimes even appearing to enjoy the aura of notoriety which it kindled.

Here's a look at her colourful life in pictures.

Ann Noreen Widdecombe was born on October 4, 1947 in Bath, Somerset. She was the daughter of James Murray Widdecombe CB OBE and Mrs. Rita Widdecombe. Her father's occupation was Head of Naval Supplies & Transport at the Ministry of Defence.

She and educated at La Sainte Union Convent, Bath, Birmingham University, and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford.

While studying at Oxford, Widdecombe reportedly lived next door to Mary Archer, Edwina Currie, and Gyles Brandreth's wife Michèle Brown.

She worked in the marketing department at Unilever from 1973-75 and later as a senior administrator at the University of London from 1975-87.

She unsuccessfully fought the parliamentary seats of Burnley (1979) and Plymouth, Devonport (1983) before becoming MP for Maidstone (later to become Maidstone and The Weald) in 1987.

She claimed to have no interest in sex and never married. Like Margaret Thatcher she never had any sympathy for the feminist cause, denouncing them as “whingers”.

Widdecombe quickly made an impact with her no-nonsense, brisk and bustling approach to everything.

In 1990 she was appointed an Under-Secretary at the Department of Social Security and three years later held a similar post at the Department of Employment.

But it was as Minister of State, Home Office, from 1995 until the Tories were voted out of office in 1997, that Miss Widdecombe became a household name.

She had responsibility for prisons and in that job she blossomed – or rather exploded – into one of the most pugnacious members of the John Major Government.

When she defended the policy of chaining pregnant prisoners to prevent them from escaping, she was attacked, particularly by matronly Labour MPs who asked her what she knew about giving birth.

But she thrived on controversy, and even relished the nickname “Doris Karloff”. She did not mind being described as the sort of lady you would expect to find manning the desk of an Albanian library, nor did she bother when her hairstyle was dubbed “new brutalist”.

Later on she was to dye her hair blonde. The effect of that, she told colleagues, was that people spoke more slowly to her.

Her ferocious “something of the night” attack on Howard, soon after the Tories returned to Opposition in 1997, almost certainly wrecked whatever chance he had of securing the Tory leadership. Later, Mr Howard achieved the leadership, only to lead the party to their third successive defeat in 2005.

Her attitude was exemplified by a comment she made when she was admitted to the Roman Catholic Church: “To have a church which calls a sin a sin and has done with it is a blessed relief.”

She also once told an interviewer: “I have never been so spiritually content. I pray morning and night and several times in between. I speak to Him whenever I have a problem and can sense His response.”

Later she said that her conversion to Roman Catholicism was the best decision she ever made.

In addition to the hurly-burly nature of her political life, Miss Widdecombe also found time to write novels. Her first, The Clematis Tree, was an instant success and she was made lucrative offers by publishers to write more, which she did.

Widdecombe, who retired from Parliament in 2010, appeared Strictly Come Dancing TV programme that year. Her performances, to use her own words, were “galumphing” and “elephantine”, and she regularly secured the lowest marks from the show’s judges.

Throughout the 2010s, she also found a new career on stage, playing pantomime characters including the evil queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

She starred alongside notable names including Craig Revel Horwood and Basil Brush.

A great donkey lover, she was a staunch supporter of Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land which rescues injured, neglected and abused donkeys in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

But she would not remain away from frontline politics forever, and became a prominent voice in the Vote Leave campaign during the 2016 referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

Her Euroscepticism then saw her returned as a Member of the European Parliament for the Brexit Party in 2019, alongside Nigel Farage.

In Mr Farage’s 2020 farewell speech in the European Parliament, he and Miss Widdecombe memorably flouted the rules with raucous clapping, cheering and waving of miniature Union flags as they left the chamber alongside other Eurosceptic allies.

Ms Widdecombe joined Reform UK, the successor to the Brexit Party, in 2023, and spoke at its party conference.

She later became immigration and justice spokeswoman for the party and remained active in the media – she appeared on TalkTV on Wednesday, the day before she was found dead.

Widdecombe was also due to be a guest on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show on Wednesday afternoon, but did not appear, as first reported by ITV.

The 78-year-old was found dead at her remote cottage in Dartmoor on Thursday having sustained serious injuries.

A murder investigation led by Devon & Cornwall Police is currently ongoing.

Widdecombe revelled in debate and plenty who knew her, whether they agreed with her or not, agreed she was incredibly memorable.