Police are investigating the death of former Conservative MP and minister Ann Widdecombe, who died at the age of 78. Widdecombe served as a prisons minister under John Major and later became a Member of the European Parliament for the Brexit Party before acting as a spokeswoman for Reform UK.
Circumstances Under Investigation
Devon and Cornwall Police are expected to release an update on her death later on Friday afternoon. A spokesman for the coroner’s office for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay stated: “Preliminary inquiries are ongoing.” The former politician lived in Haytor, near Newton Abbot in Devon.
Political and Public Life
Widdecombe, who appeared on Talk radio on Wednesday, was known for her outspoken views and long political career. She was first elected as the MP for Maidstone in 1987 and later represented Maidstone and The Weald. After leaving the Commons in 2010, she returned to politics as a Brexit Party MEP from 2019 to 2020. She also gained fame outside politics as a contestant on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2011.
