Ann Widdecombe life and biography

Ann Widdecombe was born on 4th October 1947 in Bath, Somerset. The daughter of James Murray Widdecombe CB/OBE and Mrs. Rita Widdecombe. Her father's occupation was Head of Naval Supplies & Transport, Ministry of Defence.

Ann was educated at the Royal Naval School Singapore, La Sainte Union Convent Bath, Birmingham University (BA Hons Latin) and Oxford University (BA Hons Politics, Philosophy and Economics) LMH MA 1976.

She worked in marketing at Unilever from 1973 to 1975 and was Senior Administrator at London University from 1975 to 1987.

Since 1987 she has been member of Parliament for Maidstone which became Maidstone and The Weald in 1997

Political Biography

* Secretary (1971) and Treasurer (1972) of The Oxford Union
* Committee Member of Oxford University Conservative Association
* Runnymeade District Councillor 1976-1978
* Candidate for Burnley 1979, she halved Labour majority
* Candidate for Plymouth Devonport 1983 against Dr. David Owen.
* Elected Member of Parliament for Maidstone 1987.
* 1990 Appointed PPS to Tristan Garroll-Jones Minister at the Foreign Office
* November 1990 appointed Under Secretary of State for Social Security in John Major's first administration where she specialised in pensions
Under Secretary of State Department of Employment 1993.
* Minister of State Department of Employment 1994.
* Minister of State Home Office 1995 with responsibility for prisons and immigration.
* 1997 Member of Standards and Privileges Committee of the House of Commons.
* 1998 Shadow Health Secretary.
* 1999 Shadow Home Secretary.
* 2001 Announced intention to retire from Shadow Front Bench at the same time as deciding not to stand for the Leadership of the Party.
* October 2007 Announced her intention to retire at the next General Election

The Rt. Hon. Ann Widdecombe, who has been a Member of Parliament for 20 years, first for Maidstone and latterly for Maidstone and the Weald has confirmed that she will not be seeking re-election.

Writing Career

2000 : The Clematis Tree (rose to number 8 in the Times Best Seller List)
2002 : An Act of Treachery published on 11th July
January 2005 : Ann's third novel 'Father Figure' is launched at Waterstone's in Piccadilly
July 2005 : Ann launches her second novel of the year, 'An Act of Peace' at the Foreign Press Association in London

Read more