The Speaker said:
“Before we begin today, I’d like to pay tribute to Ann Widdecombe, who died in tragic, deeply troubling circumstances last week. Ann was a formidable politician, a prominent figure in public life. She was a Member of Parliament for Maidstone for 27 years, holding a number of ministerial posts in the ’90s, and was fierce and enjoyed robust political debate. Whether you agreed with her or not, she was principled, spoke her mind, and was true to her beliefs, which were informed by a Christian faith.
Ann was a close friend to David Amess, who was murdered in 2021, and both were fellow animal lovers. In light of the ongoing police investigation, I would urge Members to take care not to say anything in this House that might prejudice a future trial. I will set out more on that, following the advice of the Home Secretary’s statement, later.
For now, we are thinking about her. Just to say, on a personal level: Casa Pizza in Kennington is where I spent a lot of time in the evenings, sharing a pizza with the one and only Ann Widdecombe. She was a friend in many ways. Politically we may not have agreed, but she was without doubt a courageous, principled politician, and our thoughts are with her family and her friends.”
Mahmood up later…
Lee Anderson, speaking to The Sun’s Tom Scotson, reveals the wokest thing he’s ever done: “I once had a vegetarian thought, about becoming a vegetarian. That was quickly dismissed when I had a bacon sandwich…”