By Neil Lock, Campaign Manager, Reform UK Godalming and Ash Branch
(10th July, 2026)
I heard today that Ann Widdecombe had died. Then, a few
hours later, that there are serious questions about how she died, and the
police are looking into the matter.
I met Ann face-to-face only once, though I did manage to spend
quite a bit of time with her. It was on Friday, June 28th, 2024. We
had invited Ann to come down to our constituency of Godalming and Ash, to do what
she could to help us break the Tory and Lib Dem stranglehold in our area. She
obliged, then spoke at a joint gathering with Guildford constituency at the
Mandolay hotel.
An unpleasant event happened when we tried to canvass customers
at our local Waitrose, which I reported here: https://libertarianism.uk/2024/06/29/someone-is-very-worried-about-reform/.
I was standing next to Ann at the back of our group when this happened, and
when I looked across at her, she was laughing! She obviously understood the
dynamics of the situation. Our enemies were making laughing-stocks of
themselves!
Later in the evening, after she had spoken (and it was
good), a small group of us remained behind for a final beer. Ann relaxed,
ceased to be a politician, and became simply a human being among friends. I was
very glad to be included among her friends.
That was my one opportunity to chat directly with Ann. But I
had the privilege to be within about six feet of her on an earlier occasion, at
a Brexit party meeting in Maidstone – her former constituency – in 2019. Due to
a fortunate combination of circumstances, I managed to get a prime seat in the
second row. Right next to the security man, whose job was to stop anyone obstructing
the speakers as they went up and down the aisle.
Ann was “possessed” that night in Maidstone. It was the most
emotionally charged speech I have ever heard, and she had to deliver it quickly
because she had to go to London for a broadcast interview. If I say she got a
standing ovation, I understate my case.
But for me, the best thing Ann ever did, she did on 31st
October 2008. She voted against the Climate Change Bill! She was one of the
Famous Five, who went into the “Nay” lobby to oppose the destruction of our entire
civilization by a pack of lying wolves.
I am agnostic in religion, so I won’t say anything about where she might, or might not, be now. But we human beings must do all we can to preserve her memory.
