Editing Ann Widdecombe (section)

===Leadership contest and backbenches===
During the [[2001 Conservative leadership election]], she could not find sufficient support amongst Conservative MPs for her leadership candidacy. She first supported [[Michael Ancram]], who was eliminated in the first round, and then [[Kenneth Clarke]], who lost in the final round. She afterwards declined to serve in [[Shadow Cabinet of Iain Duncan Smith|Iain Duncan Smith's Shadow Cabinet]] (although she indicated on the television programme ''[[When Louis Met...]]'', prior to the leadership contest, that she wished to retire to the [[backbenches]] anyway).

In 2001, when [[Michael Portillo]] was running for leader of the Conservative Party, Widdecombe described him and his allies as "[[wikt:backbiter|backbiters]]" due to his alleged destabilising influence under Hague.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk" /><ref name="Heppell2007">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4G0AAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA143|title=Choosing the Tory Leader: Conservative Party Leadership Elections from Heath to Cameron|author=Timothy Heppell|date=28 November 2007|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-0-85771-134-2|page=143}}</ref> She went on to say that, should he be appointed leader, she would never give him her allegiance.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk" /> This was amidst a [[homophobic]] campaign led by socially conservative critics of Portillo.<ref name="Heppell2007" />

In the [[2005 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election|2005 leadership election]], she initially supported Kenneth Clarke again. Once he was eliminated, she turned support towards [[Liam Fox]]. Following Fox's subsequent elimination, she took time to reflect before finally declaring for [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]]. She expressed reservations over the eventual winner [[David Cameron]], feeling that he did not, like the other candidates, have a proven track record, and she was later a leading figure in parliamentary opposition to his A-List policy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/10899823/Ann-Widdecombe-Id-rather-form-my-own-party-than-join-Ukip.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/10899823/Ann-Widdecombe-Id-rather-form-my-own-party-than-join-Ukip.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Ann Widdecombe: 'I'd rather form my own party than join Ukip' |last=Llewellyn Smith |first=Julia |date=15 June 2014 |website=The Telegraph |access-date=September 8, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> At the October 2006 Conservative Conference, she was Chief Dragon in a political version of the television programme ''[[Dragons' Den]]'', in which A-list candidates were invited to put forward a policy proposal, which was then torn apart by her team of [[Rachel Elnaugh]], [[Oliver Letwin]] and [[Michael Brown (British politician)|Michael Brown]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dale|first1=Iain|title=Taking the media beast to the dragon's den|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2006/oct/03/whenyouvegotnothingtowrit|access-date=17 February 2018|work=The Guardian|date=3 October 2006}}</ref>

In an interview with ''[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]'' in September 2006 she stated that if Parliament were of a normal length, it was likely she would retire at the next general election.<ref>{{cite news |author=Andrew Williams |title=60 Seconds: Ann Widdecombe |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/article.html?in_article_id=19578&in_page_id=11 |work=Metro |date=11 September 2006 |access-date=6 September 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070926225229/http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/article.html?in_article_id=19578&in_page_id=11| archive-date= 26 September 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> She confirmed her intention to stand down to ''[[The Observer]]'''s Pendennis diary in September 2007,<ref name="Pendennis">{{cite news |last=Marre |first=Oliver |title=Widdy knows the way to a man's heart |url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/7days/story/0,,2160786,00.html |work=The Observer |location=London |date=2 September 2007 |access-date=7 October 2007 }}</ref> and again in October 2007 after Prime Minister [[Gordon Brown]] quashed speculation of an autumn 2007 general election.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7032992.stm |work=BBC News  |title=Ann Widdecombe set to stand down | date=8 October 2007 |access-date=25 April 2010}}</ref>

In November 2006, she moved into the house of an [[Islington]] Labour Councillor to experience life on a [[council estate]], her response to her experience being "Five years ago I made a speech in the House of Commons about the forgotten decents. I have spent the last week on estates in the Islington area finding out that they are still forgotten."<ref>{{cite web | title=Anne gets taste of council estate life | date=22 November 2006 | access-date=28 November 2006 | work=Islington Gazette |url=http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/content/islington/gazette/news/story.aspx?brand=ISLGOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newsislg&itemid=WeED22%20Nov%202006%2013%3A00%3A30%3A717}}</ref>

In 2007 Widdecombe was one of the 98 MPs who voted to keep their expense details secret.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1816072.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508020947/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1816072.ece|archive-date=8 May 2009|work=The Times |location=London |title=How your MP voted on the FOI Bill |date=20 May 2007|first1=Philippe |last1=Naughton |first2=Miles |last2=Costello}}</ref> When the expenses claims [[United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal|were leaked]], however, Widdecombe was described by ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' as one of the "saints" amongst all MPs.<ref name="TGEx">{{cite news |title = MPs' expenses: The saints (Part i) |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5342811/MPs-expenses-The-saints-Part-i.html?image=5|date=18 May 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090521124714/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5342811/MPs-expenses-The-saints-Part-i.html?image=5| archive-date= 21 May 2009 | url-status=live}}</ref>

In May 2009, following the resignation of [[Michael Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn|Michael Martin]] as [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the House of Commons]], it was reported that Widdecombe was gathering support for election as interim Speaker until the next general election.<ref>{{cite news |title=Speaker: Runners and riders|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8057450.stm |work=BBC |date=21 May 2009 |access-date=21 May 2009 |location=London| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090521094143/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8057450.stm| archive-date= 21 May 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> On 11 June 2009, she confirmed her bid to be the Speaker,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8094377.stm |work=BBC News  | title=Ann Widdecombe seeks Speaker role | date=11 June 2009 | access-date=25 April 2010}}</ref> but came last in the second ballot and was eliminated.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8111887.stm |title=Two left in Commons Speaker race |access-date=22 June 2009 |date=22 June 2009 |publisher=BBC online |location=London| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090622191726/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8111887.stm| archive-date= 22 June 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref>

Widdecombe retired from politics at the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 general election]]. It was rumoured that she would be a Conservative candidate for [[Police and Crime Commissioner]] in 2012, but she refused. She since spoke about her opposition to the Coalition Government and her surprise at not being given a peerage by [[David Cameron]].<ref name="chorley">{{cite news|url=http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/04/15/ann-widdecombe-on-hating-the-coalition-doing-big-brother-and-her-rude-autobiography/ |title=Ann Widdecombe on hating the coalition, doing Big Brother and her rude autobiography |work=independent.co.uk |location=London |first=Matt |last=Chorley |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622114535/http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/04/15/ann-widdecombe-on-hating-the-coalition-doing-big-brother-and-her-rude-autobiography/ |archive-date=22 June 2012 }}</ref>

In 2016, she supported [[Brexit]] during the [[2016 EU referendum]] and, following the resignation of [[David Cameron]], endorsed [[Andrea Leadsom]] in her candidacy for [[2016 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election|election for the leadership of the governing Conservative Party]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/comment/columnists/ann-widdecombe/652956/Why-I-back-Brexit-Ann-Widdecombe|title=Here's why I back Brexit – says ANN WIDDECOMBE|first=Ann|last=Widdecombe|date=16 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/comment/columnists/ann-widdecombe/686700/Andrea-Leadsom-picked-Tory-prime-minister-MPs-Brexit|title=Tories NEED to pick Angela Leadsom as leader: ANN WIDDECOMBE calls for LEAVE-backing PM|first=Ann|last=Widdecombe|date=6 July 2016}}</ref>