WITH the death of Ann Widdecombe the British right, so rarely speaking with a single voice, is doing so today. And experiencing terrible sadness.
Ann Widdecombe has been described as the second British female prime minister the nation never had, but, perhaps, should have. She was an old-style Tory who served in the House of Commons under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher. She left the Tories, as all good right-wingers do, or have, and should do. She came on board with the Brexit Party. Served as an MEP in Brussels, and later joined Farage’s Reform UK. No doubt she would have been down there in Clacton on behalf of Nigel in his battle with Count Bin Face and the Pommy establishment.
To quote the fictional Francis Urquhart, she always ‘put a bit of stick about’. Alas, few of her fellow conservatives ever did. Widdecombe did everything to generate hatred on the left, both in its old left and new left versions. And to generate sidelining by the modern Tories, the party of David Cameron and George Osborne.
Why the hatred? Well, she was the right-winger-to-be-loathed from Central Casting. She was a social conservative who meant it. She took the fight to her opponents, and, more importantly, to their toxic ideas. She was bloody good at it. They hate that. George Pell, anyone?
She was styled ‘divisive’. Of course she was. As those of us who recognise the truth, and have the right ideas and defend them without pause, routinely are. That is a peculiar gift of the progressive elites. They divide us with all their relativist rubbish, and then project their divisiveness on to us.
Worse for the elites, Ann was effective! She was a skilled orator. Compelling. Yet all the while personable and caring. So, endearing to all those who knew her and, maybe just a little, to those whose politics she confronted.
Ann was outstanding on all the right issues. She opposed Net Zero. She defended freedom of speech. She despised the EU project, and stuck it to them in Brussels. She opposed the wokedom of modern Britain. She opposed gay marriage. And abortion. And assisted suicide.
Far worse, Ann was a Catholic! Ann’s Catholicism, the most important thing in her life, has been (characteristically) under-played by the ignorant British legacy media. Gavin Ashenden redressed the imbalance here:
Like many of the best Catholics, Ann was, like Gavin, a convert. The Church of England simply got too much for her. What with the tilt to the wokedom of our pathetic, secular age. Especially the theological embarrassment of female clergy.
So, to the left’s reactions.
Until the British police announced that Widdecombe’s death was the subject of a murder inquiry, the online bottom-feeders did their worst.
Some of the low-rent responses have been captured by an emotional Dan Wootton, a (gay) friend of Ann. It is all pretty unedifying.
(Yes, a gay friend of Ann. She didn’t allow her firm views on the truth of the gospel get in the way of her innate kindness. Love of neighbour, right there).
The reaction is pretty much what you would expect. I remember an old leftie who admitted to me that he had celebrated Thatcher’s death. If they are celebrating your death, you know you were winning. An arresting thought.
The British establishment has gone into its post-violence autopilot mode. They say ‘don’t look back in anger’. Stay off social media. Praise the police. Show respect for the victim’s family and friends by shutting up. The playbook. They always do this. Sickeningly, the soon-to-be-gone Sir Keir did his bit. As did the others. Cynical, performative grief is never a good look.
Like Mark Steyn, now wounded but still upright, Ann, with all her humour, her social skills, her gift for friendship and her personal kindness to literally everyone, she was, indeed, a happy warrior. The ultimate thorn in the flesh (as St Paul said) for her grumpy, sad enemies.
They hate our very best.
The juxtaposition of the Clacton by-election comedy and the death of Ann recalls that Marxian aphorism about farce and tragedy.
The war goes on. Meantime, if the trumpets of heaven aren’t at full volume tonight, I would be very surprised.
Requiescat in pace.
