Ann Widdecombe

Ann Widdecombe, 78, died on July 9, 2026. Ann Widdecombe was known publicly as a British politician, MP (1987–2010), MEP (2019–2020) and and minister of state for prisons (1995–1997). Ann Noreen Widdecombe (4 October 1947 – 9 July 2026) was a British politician and television personality who was Reform UK's Immigration and Justice spokesperson from 2023 to 2026. Originally a member of the Conservative Party, she was Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidstone and The Weald, and the former Maidstone constituency, from 1987 to 2010. She was a member of the Brexit Party from 2019 until it was renamed Reform UK in 2021, and served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South West England from 2019 to 2020; she rejoined Reform UK in 2023. Born in Bath, Somerset, Widdecombe read Latin at the University of Birmingham and later studied philosophy, politics and economics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. She is a religious convert from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism, and was a member of the Conservative Christian Fellowship. Public biographical listings identify Widdecombe as a British politician. Widdecombe was also associated with MP (1987–2010), MEP (2019–2020), and and minister of state for prisons (1995–1997). This public record remains centered on Widdecombe's work as a British politician, MP (1987–2010), MEP (2019–2020) and and minister of state for prisons (1995–1997) and the documented milestones of that career.