Editing Ann Widdecombe (section)

===Return to politics – Brexit Party===
In 2019 she returned to politics as a candidate for the [[Brexit Party]] in the [[2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom|European parliament elections]] in [[South West England (European Parliament constituency)|South West England]], which were held on 23 May, though she maintained that she would still vote for the Conservatives in the local elections that took place three weeks before.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|date=24 April 2019|title=Ann Widdecombe to stand for Brexit Party|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48034732|access-date=24 April 2019|work=BBC News}}</ref> She was expelled by the Conservative Party immediately after her announcement.<ref name="expelled">{{cite news |url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1118490/Brexit-news-UK-Brexit-Party-Ann-Widdecombe-Conservative-Party-Farage-European-elections |title=Ann Widdecombe reveals she has been EXPELLED from Tories after defection to Brexit Party |work=Express online |date=24 April 2019 |access-date=14 May 2019}}</ref> Widdecombe had considered joining the Brexit Party in March 2019, but joined later, in May.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDF9o0aBtRE| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211122/bDF9o0aBtRE| archive-date=2021-11-22 | url-status=live|title=Iain Dale Interviews: Ann Widdecombe| date=21 November 2019|via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Widdecombe said that her decision to stand resulted from the Government's failure to deliver Britain's departure from the EU on schedule. "Both major parties need a seismic shock," she said, "to see the extent of public disgust."<ref name="expelled" /><ref name="BBC" /> She subsequently won her seat.<ref>{{cite news |title=Brexit Party's Ann Widdecombe wins South West seat |work=BBC News |date=27 May 2019 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-48417344 |access-date=14 June 2019}}</ref>

Widdecombe became a member of the [[European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs]] (LIBE).<ref>{{Cite web|title=EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT - PARLEMENT EUROPEEN - Conference of Presidents - C01 AFET|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sed/doc/news/flash/22641/List%20of%20committees_for%20CoP_rev3_en.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704204137/https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sed/doc/news/flash/22641/List%20of%20committees_for%20CoP_rev3_en.pdf|archive-date=4 July 2019|website=[[European Parliament]]}}</ref>

Widdecombe stood as a candidate for [[Plymouth Sutton and Devonport]] in the [[2019 UK general election]], coming a distant third but just retaining her deposit with 5.5% of the vote. [[Nigel Farage]] said that she was told by the Conservative Party that she would be part of their Brexit negotiations if she stood down as a candidate.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/14/nigel-farage-says-he-is-unlikely-to-vote-for-any-party-in-election|title=Ann Widdecombe 'was offered Brexit talks role to stand down as Farage candidate'|work=The Guardian|date=14 November 2019 |access-date=22 November 2019}}</ref>