Death of Ann Widdecombe

Statement

The following Statement was made in the House of Commons on Monday 13 July.

“With permission, Mr Speaker, I wish to make a Statement about the death of Ann Widdecombe. It is with great sadness that I say those words. My thoughts today are with her family, her friends and all those who loved her.

Ann Widdecombe dedicated her life to politics and public service. She was a fixture of our political life for nearly 40 years. She brought conviction to our politics, grounded in her profound Catholic faith. She was forthright in her opinions and argued courageously for the things she believed in. But, perhaps most of all, she brought an inimitable style to politics. She was forthright and fearless. As Lord Howard of Lympne can attest, she had a memorable turn of phrase. And she was joyful: she thought seriously about ideas but did not take herself too seriously, and that allowed her to reach beyond this place and charm the country at large. She was one of those rare politicians who was bigger than politics.

There have been so many moving tributes in the past few days, reflecting Ann’s impact both within this place and beyond politics. But I think her outlook on life is best summed up by Ann herself. Sitting on Graham Norton’s sofa, she said:

‘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’.

Ann took her opportunities. She was the proud MP for Maidstone for 23 years—a champion of her constituents. She served the country in government, as Minister for Employment and then Minister for Prisons. She took politics out of these ancient walls and became a bona fide TV star. Her contribution to our politics and national life will never be forgotten.

The police now have a suspect in custody: a 28 year-old white British man. I can confirm to the House that this man was not known to Prevent. The police have cautioned against speculating about the case. That is the right thing to do for Ann’s family and friends. It is also vital that the police are given the space they need to carry out their work.

On Wednesday, Ann Widdecombe was murdered in her home. The circumstances of her death are extremely distressing. Counterterrorism policing has now taken the lead in the investigation. As Laurence Taylor, the head of national counterterrorism policing has said:

‘We now have new information and evidence that means Counter Terrorism Policing is leading the investigation … We are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for this attack’.

The police now have a suspect in custody: a 28 year- old white British man. I can confirm to the House that this man was not known to Prevent. The police have cautioned against speculating about the case. That is the right thing to do for Ann’s family and friends. It is also vital that the police are given the space they need to carry out their work.

I know this raises questions about the security of those in public life. I will not be the only one in the Chamber also thinking of two other beloved Members of this House: Jo Cox and Sir David Amess. Politics is a calling for those of us here, but it should not be a dangerous one. It is incumbent on the House and the Government to work together to protect those who choose to serve. The Home Office and the police work closely with the Parliamentary Security Department to provide practical advice and support directly to MPs. But we must always be vigilant and respond to changing threats.

For now, what matters most is supporting the investigation, so that we can see justice delivered for Ann and all who loved her. I urge anyone, with any information at all, to come forward immediately.

I know this raises questions about the security of those in public life. I will not be the only one in the Chamber also thinking of two other beloved Members of this House: Jo Cox and Sir David Amess. Politics is a calling for those of us here, but it should not be a dangerous one. It is incumbent on the House and the Government to work together to protect those who choose to serve. The Home Office and the police work closely with the Parliamentary Security Department to provide practical advice and support directly to MPs. But we must always be vigilant and respond to changing threats.

Security measures are kept under constant review to ensure that MPs can carry out their duties safely. The police intend to issue guidance to MPs soon, and they will be contacting parliamentarians in their constituencies to offer support. I also recently commissioned the former Lord Chancellor, Sir Robert Buckland, to review the lessons from Sir David Amess’s murder, including into required improvements to security for MPs working in their constituencies.

I recognise the particular concern that the Reform UK party will feel today, and of course Nigel Farage, the party’s leader. I am happy to offer a meeting for Mr Farage with the chair of RAVEC—the Royal and VIP Executive Committee—the independent body within the Home Office that manages the security of those in public life. I will also be looking at what security guidance can be provided to former Members of Parliament, which I hope to work with you on, Mr Speaker, as well as to those who serve a party outside of this place.

Today is a dark day in our political life, but we must also use it as an opportunity to celebrate Ann Widdecombe’s memory. She was a unique figure in our politics: a distinctive and devoted public servant, the likes of whom we will rarely, if ever, see again. Ann had a profound faith. Her journey in this life has ended too soon, but may she now rest in eternal peace. I commend this Statement to the House”.

My Lords, no 78 year-old woman deserves to be bludgeoned to death in her own home. The whole House will wish that the search for anyone who may have incited or abetted her cowardly killer will be far-reaching and remorseless and their punishment unbending. To those who sneered about Ann Widdecombe after the news of her death or, worse, welcomed her death, I say that to try to unsay such things when you learn of the manner of her death does not make it okay. Your shameful words are indelible, and their stain lies not on her but for ever on you. There is too much easy hatred in politics today. We must confront all its perpetrators and root them out.

There was no hatred in Ann Widdecombe. Strong principles? Yes, you sure knew where you stood. Convictions expressed with clarity? Certainly. A zeal to serve her community? Absolutely. Readiness to debate fiercely and then make up with a drink and a laugh afterwards? Very much so. People who knew her in the House of Commons say there was never a harder-working constituency MP. She worked for the causes in which she believed day in, day out, right to the very end. Her killer found her after one engagement, and he took her as she was preparing for her next one.

The response from her own community in recent days has shown how dearly she was loved by her neighbours and those with whom she so faithfully worshipped her divine creator at Buckfast Abbey. She was one of those rare politicians that non-politicians, real people, related to and liked. Yes, she was a character. She loved her country. My goodness me, how much she loved this land. Eccentric, maybe, but how English is that? My party leader, Kemi Badenoch, spoke simply and eloquently, as a woman of a woman, of the shock that we in the Conservative Party feel at the loss of a dear colleague of decades. Like Kemi, I reach out to the members of Reform, to whom Ann lately hitched her redoubtable wagon. Her loss is a loss, in my judgment, to the whole of public life, and it is another darkening of the happiness and the cheerful innocence of things.