Having served five terms and spent 23 years as the MP for Maidstone (later Maidstone and The Weald), Ann proved herself a dedicated local MP. In addition to the impact she has had on her local economy, Ann become a major figure in British politics.
Ann is a big supporter of animal rights and was one of the instigators behind the ban on fox hunting. She once moved into a council estate in 2006 to conclude that people in the Islington area 'are still forgotten'. She was described as one of the few 'saints' when the expenses scandal reached the public domain and having spent time as Minister of State for Prisons and Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Ann was always concerned with welfare.
Often controversial, Ann was opposed to abortion, a propagator of a proposed move to prosecute cannabis users with £100 fines, staunchly against LGBT rights, a supporter of the reintroduction of the death penalty for the worst cases of murder and was against legislation aimed at reducing emissions and tackling climate change. All of these topics opened Ann up to significant opposition, as well as significant fanfare, making her career one of the most fascinating in political history.
After a Christian education, Ann spent a period of time as an agnostic before returning to Christianity. She converted to Catholicism from Anglicanism in 1993 and has continued to serve the Roman Catholic church to this day. In 2013, Ann was made Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great by Pope Benedict XVI for services to politics and public life.
Her life has included a number of appearances on television and the radio. She has taken part in Celebrity Fit Club, an agony aunt TV show in 2005 called The Widdecombe Project, which continued as Ann Widdecombe to the Rescue. She was the guest presenter for popular comedy panel show, Have I Got News for You on two occasions. Ann has also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.
Known for her honesty and integrity, whether she is supported or not, Ann is a wonderfully genuine politics speaker to which she owes much of her success. A fascinating keynote speaker with stories to tell, insight to share and a wide spread of opinions on a base of topics - Ann Widdecombe is the ideal speaker to engage all manner of audiences at conferences and student events.
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