Ann Widdecombe’s simple explanation for why she never got married | UK | News
Ann Widdecombe once explained why she never married and that it was never a “conscious decision”. The former Conservative MP, who has died aged 78, claimed he was not interested in sex and instead lived a life revolving around the “cuts and thrusts” of politics.
Ms Widdecombe, who served as prisons minister and shadow home secretary before leaving Parliament in 2010, said she had not been in love since splitting from her university boyfriend Colin Maltby. “I think there’s a myth that everyone who’s single makes that decision. One or two people might have done it, but I’ve certainly never done it,” he told the BBC in 2013.
“When the relationship with Colin ended, my basic assumption was that someone else would come along and I would get married,” she added. “I’m not sure I consciously let that go… [But] “I never fell in love again.”
While Ms Widdecombe held out hope of meeting someone in her young adulthood, she began to enjoy being single in her mid-40s and felt it was “quite nice to be on your own”.
“By the time I was in my fifties I was like ‘oh yeah, I’d prefer that,’” he said. “Now I can tell you that if Mr. Right comes, I will turn away all the boarders.”
The former MP and MP’s death was confirmed by his management on Friday, and the firm that represented him for more than a decade said he would be “hugely” missed.
“His life and career were guided by strong Christian values and a commitment to public service,” the statement said.
“He loved the sharp edge of political debate and, 16 years after leaving Parliament, he was still actively campaigning for UK Reformation and offering clear views on the hot topics of the day on numerous radio and television programmes.”
Ms Widdecombe was a prominent Eurosceptic throughout her political career and supported the Vote Leave campaign during the 2016 Brexit referendum.
He became a member of the Brexit Party from 2019 and served as an MP representing South West England in Brussels between 2019 and 2020.
Ms Widdecombe joined Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, the Brexit Party’s successor, in 2023 and appeared at the party conference the following year as Reform’s immigration spokesperson.
He was also known for his socially conservative views during his Commons career, such as opposing the legality of abortion and opposing expanding rights for the LGBT community.
