Editing Ann Widdecombe (section)

==Early life==
Ann Noreen Widdecombe was born in [[Bath, Somerset]], the daughter of Rita Noreen (''née'' Plummer; 1911–2007) and [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] civil servant James Murray Widdecombe. Widdecombe's maternal grandfather, James Henry Plummer, was born to a [[Catholic]] family of English descent in [[Crosshaven]], [[County Cork]], Ireland in 1874.

She attended the Royal Naval School in [[Singapore]],<ref name="BBCRet">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7032992.stm Ann Widdecombe set to stand down]; [[BBC News]], 7 October 2007</ref> and La Sainte Union [[Convent]] School in Bath.<ref name=AboutAnn>{{cite web|url=http://www.annwiddecombe.com/text.aspx?id=52|title=About Ann|publisher=annwiddecombe.com|access-date=8 October 2009|archive-date=24 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324103448/http://www.annwiddecombe.com/text.aspx?id=52|url-status=dead}}</ref> She then read [[Latin]] at the [[University of Birmingham]] and later attended [[Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford]], to read [[philosophy, politics and economics]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web|title=LMH, Oxford – Prominent Alumni|url=https://www.lmh.ox.ac.uk/Alumni/Prominent-alumni.aspx|access-date=20 May 2015}}</ref> In 1971, she was the secretary of the [[Oxford Union]] for one term, and became its treasurer for one term in 1972.<ref name="Roth2"/> 

While studying at Oxford, she lived next door to [[Mary Archer]], [[Edwina Currie]], and [[Gyles Brandreth]]'s wife Michèle Brown.<ref>{{cite news|title=Have I Got News For You, Series 25 Episode 6 with Hugh Dennis, Gyles Brandreth & Martin Freeman}}</ref> She worked for [[Unilever]] (1973–75) and then as an administrator at the [[University of London]] (1975–87) before entering Parliament.<ref name=AboutAnn />