Her father was from Saltash and her mother from Plymouth. Her father had been the Director of Armament Supply in the Admiralty and had distinguished himself as head of Armament Supply in Malta during its siege. Her family had very strong ties to this area dating back to the early 18th Century.
Richie is joined by Tony Gosling and Marilyn Hawes. Counter terrorism police are now leading the investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe after "new information and evidence" came to light, officers have said. A 28-year-old white British man from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, originally arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday, has now been re-arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed the suspect was not known to the government's Prevent anti-terror scheme. Widdecombe, a 78-year-old former Conservative minister turned Reform UK spokeswoman, was found dead at her home in Devon, having sustained serious injuries. To discuss this and more, Richie is joined by the writer and broadcaster, Tony Gosling
She was a conviction politician who did argue her corner forcefully but she was always happy to engage with those who disagreed with her and never took anything personally. She could laugh at herself and was always willing to get stuck in. She was a devout Christian in an era when that is increasingly unusual. I do not know what is happening to our society that these murders can happen in such a tranquil and beautiful place? I am also aghast that some people who disagree with her politics are being very disrespectful. We are living in disturbing times.
I appreciate this quote she gave on Graham Norton: “we get one go this side of eternity, one go. Life is not a dress rehearsal, you take opportunities that you like and you go for it, that’s my philosophy.”
Harvey Proctor has written a very powerful article about her: The death of Ann Widdecombe marks the passing of one of the last politicians who believed that principle mattered more than popularity. She was, of course, many things: a formidable parliamentarian, a woman of profound Christian faith and conviction, an accomplished author and broadcaster and someone who never sought the comfort of fashionable opinion.
She spoke her mind, often to the irritation of opponents and sometimes even allies. Yet, whether one agreed with her or not, there was never any doubt about the sincerity of her beliefs.”
“It is easy in the days following her death to celebrate those qualities in general terms. I remember them for a far more personal reason. When I became caught up in the grotesque injustice of Operation Midland, much of public life fell silent. Allegations that would later be exposed as heinous lies were treated as established fact. My reputation, painstakingly built over decades, was destroyed almost overnight. I lost my home, my livelihood and, for a time, I thought my entire life would be extinguished.
Many people who knew me, and many who privately doubted what was unfolding, chose discretion over courage. They calculated that association with someone under suspicion carried greater risk than remaining silent while obvious injustice took its course.”
“Ann Widdecombe made a different calculation. She understood that the presumption of innocence is not an inconvenience to be discarded in difficult cases but one of the foundations of a civilised society. She recognised that due process exists precisely because public opinion can be wrong, institutions can fail and allegations are not evidence.”
“She was one of the very few members of parliament prepared to say so publicly.
Her support was never loud or theatrical. It was something far rarer. It was principled. She offered practical advice and support, personal kindness and public solidarity when these things carried political cost rather than reward. She neither sought headlines nor applause. She simply believed that justice demanded it.
That commitment never left her. In September 2023, long after Operation Midland had been comprehensively discredited and after I had received an apology and compensation from the Metropolitan Police, Ann attended a demonstration outside New Scotland Yard to mark Falsely Accused Day.”
“Some misunderstood her position, as they often did. Defending the presumption of innocence does not diminish genuine victims of crime. On the contrary, justice depends upon fairness for everyone. A criminal justice system that abandons impartiality ultimately fails victims as well as the accused.
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