Ann Widdecombe's little-known Gosport connection - as tributes are paid to politician who has died aged 78

Tributes have been paid to Ann Widdecombe, the former MP and MEP who also famously featured on Strictly Come Dancing, after her death aged 78.

The former Tory minister later joined Reform UK and Nigel Farage said she played a “decisive role” in getting the UK out of the European Union.

Miss Widdecombe was a Conservative MP between 1987 and 2010 for the Kent constituency of Maidstone, later Maidstone and the Weald, and held several ministerial positions in Sir John Major’s government.

She famously clashed with her Conservative colleague Michael Howard, when she was a Home Office minister and he home secretary, describing him as having “something of the night about him”. Miss Widdecombe also faced flak for defending a policy of chaining pregnant prisoners to their beds.

In her post-Commons career, she appeared on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, partnered with Anton du Beke, and survived until the competition’s semi-finals thanks to the public vote. She became a member of Mr Farage’s Brexit Party from 2019 and served as an MEP representing South West England in Brussels between 2019 and 2020.

Miss Widdecombe was born in Bath, the daughter of Rita and Ministry of Defence civil servant James Murray Widdecombe. Mr Widdecombe was posted around the world - Ann spent a chunk of her childhood in Singapore - and as part of his job was sent to Gosport.

Ann told the Guardian newspaper in 2000 about her first day at Bridgemary school in Gosport, explaining that she was there "only a little while before going to live in a faraway place called Singapore".

She told the paper: “A terrible thing happened. I left through the wrong gate and could not find my mother. She was very upset because she could not find me. Then another mummy with two children carrying blue balloons asked me why I was standing at the gate, and she took me back across the playground to where my mother and Anda Panda [Ann's cuddly toy] were waiting.”

In 2015 she shared a 1953 picture with the Daily Express of herself and her brother Malcolm, who was 10 years older, at Ordnance House in Gosport, which she described as ”one of our father’s many Admiralty postings”.

A statement from her management said: “It is with great sadness that today we announce the death of the Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe, DSG. We send our deepest condolences to Ann’s family and friends. We ask that the family’s wish not to be contacted at this sad time is respected.”

Cloud9 Management, who represented her for more than a decade, said she would be missed “greatly”.

It 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.

“Ann was a valued patron of many causes, particularly her animal charities. As Ann once said on The Graham Norton Show, ‘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’.”

She was also known for her socially conservative views, which included opposing the legality of abortion and widening rights for the LGBT community during her Commons career. She claimed to have no interest in sex, and never married.

Defence minister Luke Pollard, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said: “Ann stood against me in the 2019 General Election. As a gay remainer, let’s just say we didn’t see eye to eye on some important issues.

“Despite the disagreements she was always polite and courteous. She was one of politics’ characters.”

Health Secretary James Murray said Miss Widdecombe was “never shy of having quite firm views” and everyone “can recognise the contribution that she made to politics”.

He told Times Radio: “I think she’s been such a large part of our politics for many years. I mean, she was never shy of having quite firm views and sharing them quite willingly, and I can’t say I always agreed with her views, but she was such a part of our politics.

“I think everyone can kind of recognise the contribution that she made to politics and the role that she played in our public life.”

Mr Farage said: “When Ann Widdecombe decided to stand for The Brexit Party in the snap 2019 European Elections, it was a big moment and huge boost. The voters loved her. She played a decisive role in getting Brexit over the line and will be missed by us all.”