'Ann Widdecombe was a national treasure'
Getty ImagesTributes from across Kent have been paid to former Maidstone MP Ann Widdecombe, who has died aged 78.
Her death was announced on Friday morning by the agents of the Conservative minister turned Reform UK spokeswoman.
Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran said: "No one could match Ann Widdecombe for her sharp wit, warm humour, common sense, incredible insight and complete honesty. She was a force of nature and a national treasure."
Sally-Ann Marks, the former chair of Widdecombe's Conservative constituency in Maidstone, said the politician was a "one-off" and a "force to be reckoned with".
Marks said Widdecombe also "could have been a stand-up comedian".
"She was incredibly funny, knew how to hold the floor and certainly did," she said.
"I certainly didn't agree with many of her views, but always listened to her."
Widdecombe served as the MP for Maidstone for 23 years, before joining Reform UK.
In 1997, she famously described the then home secretary and fellow Kent MP Lord Michael Howard as having "something of the night about him".
'She was formidable'
Following the announcement of Widdecombe's death Lord Howard, the former Conservative leader, and MP for Folkestone and Hythe, told BBC Radio Kent the pair had since made up.
"She was formidable and she was a real character and she was a good minister, though we did have our fallout," he said.
Lord Howard disagreed with claims on the radio show that she should have been the prime minister.
"I'm not sure that I would go as far as to agree with that," he said.
"I think you require many different qualities to be prime minister and I'm not sure that Ann had all of them."
However, Howard Cox, who was a campaigner for Widdecombe, said: "She should have been prime minister, there's no doubt about it.
"She should have been the second female prime minister after Margaret Thatcher."
PA MediaWiddecombe is also known for appearing on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and being a runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.
"It wasn't done for promotion of herself, far from it, she did it because she wanted to be in touch with people and she was a normal, decent person," Cox said.
"She was a lousy dancer, she would be the first person to say that and she would say it with a big smile on her face, but look how many people fell in love with her because of that.
"And that's what she's all about, she passionately cared about our country and she passionately cared about the people within our country and God there's so many people that are going to miss her."
Michael Keohan, BBC Radio Kent's political reporter, said he remembered several exchanges with the politician over the years.
"I was just rolling through the text messages for Ann Widdecombe where she was asking me to read the Riot Act to producers who had phoned her too early for a slot on the radio show," he said.
"So her politics were both forthright but also colourful, and I have seen both sides of Ann Widdecombe through the years."
'Didn't take prisoners'
Keohan also reflected on an phone-in interview with Widdecombe and the Archbishop of Canterbury while he was working at LBC.
"Obviously Ann Widdecombe's faith was important to her, but she read the Riot Act to the Archbishop of Canterbury," he said.
"Ann Widdecombe didn't take prisoners no matter what part of life it was from.
"Ann Widdecombe didn't look at levels or status in society, she looked at issues, be they controversial or not, but she certainly tackled them in that forthright way."
Residents in Cranbrook, which fell under her Maidstone and The Weald constituency, also shared their thoughts on the former MP.
Steven Mummery, who has lived in Cranbrook for 50 years, said: "Ann Widdecombe was the quintessential British person.
"She was slightly eccentric but she knew her own mind and wasn't afraid speak up for what she believed in, even though many disagreed."
Cranbrook resident Caroline Cannar said Widdecombe would be missed.
"Love her or loathe her, and I didn't agree with all of her politics, but she was a very good constituency MP," she said.
Jeremy Galpin, who grew up in the town, said: "She was a larger than life figure and I didn't agree with everything she stood for, but she was trying to make a difference in her own way."
