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Ann Widdecombe
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.
She 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.
