Ann Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister, described a resolute approach to her personal safety during her political career, stating she would dismiss death threats from the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Widdecombe, known for her socially conservative stances on issues such as abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, was frequently a target of activists and campaigners.
In an interview last October, Widdecombe, 78, stated she never feared physical attack due to her beliefs and public profile. "I took a very robust attitude," she said. Recalling instances of receiving death threats, she explained that she instructed her staff to discard them. "I'd say, 'Put it in the bin,' because if the IRA are going to do it, they're not going to tell you in advance, they're just going to do it," she stated, referencing the 1979 assassination of Airey Neave. "I still take that attitude. I do know that we're in a slightly different world but I think it's crucial that MPs and their constituents intermingle freely."
This perspective was shared by her fellow MP Sir David Amess, who was fatally stabbed in October 2021 by an Islamic State fanatic during a constituency surgery. Widdecombe remarked that she told Sir David's widow that he would not have wanted his death to deter MPs from engaging freely with their constituents. "His belief, and it is still my belief, that an MP should be able to walk through the town on a Saturday afternoon, talk to their constituents," Widdecombe added.
Widdecombe's political career was marked by her opposition to abortion rights, her stance on LGBTQ+ legislation, and her support for the reintroduction of the death penalty. Her public advocacy against changes to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill in 2008, which aimed to ease recognition for same-sex couples on birth certificates, led to protests. Throughout her time in Parliament, she did not vote in favor of gay rights legislation, including civil partnerships and the repeal of Section 28. In 2018, she also criticized Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for their stated intention to prioritize LGBTQ+ rights.
While Widdecombe never faced a physical attack for her beliefs, she was once the target of a custard pie assault in April 2000. During a book signing, a protestor opposed to the Conservative Party's immigration policies threw a custard pie at her. Widdecombe responded by cleaning her face and continuing the event, condemning the act as a "mindless waste of police time."