Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative MP who has died at the age of 78, once explained why she never married, stating it was not a conscious decision but rather a consequence of her lack of interest in sex and her focus on politics.
Widdecombe's Explanation for Never Marrying
In a 2013 interview with the BBC, Widdecombe said: "I think there is this myth that anybody who's single has taken this decision. Well, one or two people might have done, but I certainly never did." She explained that after breaking up with her university boyfriend, Colin Maltby, she assumed someone else would come along and she would get married. However, she added: "I never fell in love again."
Widdecombe claimed to have no interest in sex and instead lived a life that revolved around the "cut and thrust" of politics. She served as prisons minister and shadow home secretary before leaving Parliament in 2010.
Embracing Single Life
While she held out hope of meeting someone in young adulthood, Widdecombe began to enjoy being single by her mid-40s and felt it was "quite nice being on my own." She said: "By my fifties, I was saying, 'oh yes, I prefer this.' Now I can tell you if Mr Right came in, I'd repel all boarders."
Death and Legacy
Widdecombe's death was confirmed by her management on Friday. The firm that represented her for more than a decade said she would be missed "greatly." A statement read: "Her life and career were driven by her strong Christian values and commitment to public service. She loved the cut and thrust of political debate and, 16 years after leaving Parliament, was still actively campaigning for Reform UK and offering forthright views on the hot topics of the day across numerous radio and television programmes."
Throughout her political career, Widdecombe was a prominent Eurosceptic and supported the Vote Leave campaign during the 2016 Brexit referendum. She became a member of the Brexit Party in 2019 and served as an MEP representing South West England in Brussels between 2019 and 2020. She joined Nigel Farage's Reform UK in 2023, the successor to the Brexit Party, and made an appearance at its party conference the following year as Reform's immigration spokesperson.
Widdecombe was also known for her socially conservative views, which included opposing the legality of abortion and being against the widening of rights for the LGBT community during her Commons career.
