THE deputy mayor of a North Yorkshire town has paid tribute to Ann Widdecombe at a full council meeting.
Sarah Mason, the deputy mayor of Reform-led Scarborough Town Council, has paid tribute to Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman who was found dead on Thursday 9 July at her home in Haytor, Devon, having sustained serious injuries.
Chairing the meeting of the authority on Tuesday, July 28, Cllr Mason opened the meeting “in remembrance of Ann Widdecombe” and encouraged councillors to “take a moment to acknowledge her passing”.
Ms Widdecombe had a career in politics that spanned decades. She served as Conservative MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years and was appointed to ministerial roles in John Major’s government in the 1990s.
Later, she represented South West England as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Brexit Party and in 2023 she joined Reform UK as a party spokeswoman.
The town mayor, Cllr Thomas Murray, was not able to attend the meeting due to a clashing work commitment.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Mason said: “She was a woman whose political courage, conviction and integrity were unmistakable throughout her life – Ann was a fearless figure in British politics.
“Whether people agreed with her or not, everyone recognised one thing: She stood firmly by what she believed in, and she defended the right of others to do the same. That principle, the freedom to speak openly, to disagree honestly and to participate fully in our democracy, is something she championed throughout her career.”
She added: “Today, I simply want to honour her strength, her conviction and her unwavering commitment to democratic debate. Ann Widdecombe will be remembered as a woman who never shied away from speaking her mind, and who defended the right of others to do the same. May she rest in peace.”
A 28-year-old man from South Yorkshire has been charged with her murder following an investigation led by counter-terrorism detectives. A provisional trial date has been listed for June 2027.