The agents for Ann Widdecombe have announced that the 78-year-old sadly died yesterday, Thursday, July 9.

In a statement Cloud9 Management said: “It is with great sadness that today we announce the death of The Right Honourable Ann Widdecombe DSG.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire towns snubbed as UK Town of Culture shortlist announced

“We send our deepest condolences to Ann’s family and friends.”

Ms Widdecombe was a Conservative MP between 1987 and 2010 for the Kent constituency of Maidstone, later Maidstone and the Weald, and held several ministerial positions in Sir John Major’s government.

Strictly Come Dancing partners Ann Widdecombe and Anton du Beke reunite (Image: Alamy/PA)

She left the House of Commons in 2010 but remained active in politics serving as a Member of the European Parliament for the Brexit Party.

In 2023 she joined Reform UK and the party’s leader Nigel Farage has shared a tribute on social media.

He said: “When Ann Widdecombe decided to stand for The Brexit Party in the snap 2019 European Elections, it was a big moment and huge boost. The voters loved her.

Then shadow home secretary Ann Widdecombe making an impassioned key note speech to delegates at their party conference in Blackpool (Image: Phil Noble/PA Wire)

“She played a decisive role in getting Brexit over the line and will be missed by us all.”

Ms Widdecombe read Latin at Birmingham University before studying philosophy, politics and economics at Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford, where she was involved in the Oxford Union.

While there she had embarked on a three-year romance, ending it in order to focus on her career.

Leader of Reform UK Nigel Farage with former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe (Image: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)

Otherwise she claimed to have no interest in sex, and never married.

In her post-Commons career she appeared on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 partnered with Anton du Beke, and survived until the competition’s semi-finals thanks to the public vote.

Cloud9 Management added: “For many, of course, she will be best (or worst?) remembered for her unforgettable appearances on Strictly Come Dancing, defying the judges week after week as the public delighted in her unsuccessful attempts to follow the choreography of the long-suffering Anton Du Beke.”

Ann Widdecombe and Anton du Beke going through their routine at Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom (Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

Others have also expressed their tributes.

Broadcaster Piers Morgan said: “A wonderfully no-nonsense, straight-talking, highly-opinionated British battle-axe.

READ MORE: Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc spotted with on-duty police dogs

“Ann was always a very feisty, combative interviewee, but always great fun too. Amid so many dreary politicians, she was a charismatic, combative gem.”

Associated Editor of the Jeremy Vine show, Kevin Maguire, said: “Saddened and shocked at the sudden death of Ann Widdecombe, 78, the Reform politician and former Conservative MP and Minister plus, of course, star of Strictly and panto

“Disagreed on most things but she was kindly and I enjoyed clashing and pulling her leg on the Jeremy Vine show.”

St Amand’s Catholic Primary School in East Hendred has said it will be closing at 12.30pm tomorrow (Friday, July 10) due to “severe weather”.

Temperatures are set to hit 33°C in Oxford and will be hotter across the country with the record for the number of days the UK has seen 34°C or higher in a calendar year having now been broken.

St Amand’s Catholic Primary School, East Hendred (Image: Google Maps)

READ MORE: Oxfordshire towns snubbed as UK Town of Culture shortlist announced

Currently St Amand’s is the only school to have announced a closure to the county council, although some have already broken up for the summer holidays.

During the last heatwave in June hundreds of schools across the county announced full or partial closures over several days.

This was amid record-breaking 34°C conditions.

The results of the 2026 GP Patient Survey for NHS England were released today (Thursday, July 9) containing data including how easy patients find it to contact their GP as well as reception and administration ratings.

The public also gave their views of the ‘overall experience’ of their local GP surgery, ranking them very good, fairly good, neither good nor poor, fairly poor and very poor.

Almost 3 million surveys were distributed by market research agency Ipsos with around 650,000 responses received in England between January and April.

READ MORE: England flags prison threat amid new Oxfordshire Raise the Colours ruling

On average 46 per cent of people gave their GP the highest grade, while only 4 per cent gave their GP the lowest.

Wychwood Surgery in Shipton-under-Wychwood (Image: Google Maps)

In Oxfordshire the best performing GP surgery was Wychwood in Shipton-under-Wychwood, with 90 per cent of respondents rating it very good and none giving it a fairly or very poor rating.

Berinsfield Health Centre near Wallingford also performed well with an 88 per cent very good rating as did Cropredy Surgery on 86 per cent and Sibford on 85 per cent.

The Bell and Islip both received 80 per cent very good ratings.

Temple Cowley Surgery (Image: Google Maps)

Technically the worst performing GP surgery in Oxfordshire was Luther Street Medical Practice in Oxford with 14 per cent of respondents calling it very poor.

However only 4 per cent of its patients asked filled in the survey with 55 per cent of them in fact giving it the highest grade, above the national average.

Another Oxford-based surgery, Temple Cowley, wasn’t far behind with 13 per cent saying it is very poor.

Luther Street Medical Practice (Image: Google Maps)

Around a quarter of those asked filled in the NHS survey for Temple Cowley (more than the national average), with 3 per cent rating it fairly poor and 12 per cent saying it’s neither good nor poor.

Also performing badly were Nuffield Health Centre in Witney and Woodlands Medical Centre in Didcot, which both received 10 per cent very poor scores.

At Oak Tree Health Centre in Didcot, 8 per cent of patients thought it was very poor.

Berinsfield Health Centre (Image: Google Maps)

The survey also revealed that a rising number of people are turning to online GP services to get in touch with their local surgery.

READ MORE: Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc spotted with on-duty police dogs

Some 31 per cent of people contacted their GP service online when they needed care, up from 22 per cent in 2025 and 17 per cent in 2024.

About 69 per cent said the wait for their last appointment was “about right”.

Almost three-quarters (74 per cent) said their last appointment was face to face, up from 69 per cent in 2024.

And 23 per cent were dealt with over the phone, down from 29 per cent.