NewsUK NewsPolitics'A true powerhouse and honourable lady'06:33, 10 Jul 2026Ann Widdecombe, the former MP and MEP, has died aged 78, her representatives said on Friday. Tributes are being paid to a 'true powerhouse' of politics.Widdecombe served as the Conservative MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years, representing the constituency from 1987 until 2010.She was appointed prisons minister under Prime Minister John Major, serving in the role from 1995 to 1997.Click here for the latest on Greater Manchester's politics in our newsletterWiddecombe attempted to become Conservative leader in 2001 following William Hague's resignation, but failed to garner enough support among her colleagues. In 2009, she also attempted to become Speaker of the House of Commons, but lost out to fellow Tory John Be