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Strictly Ann: The Autobiography
In this life story of one of our most outspoken and celebrated politicians, Ann Widdecombe offers a unique insight into her time as a minister in three government departments and the Shadow Cabinet in the 1990s, as well as taking us back to her wandering childhood and explaining the roots of her deeply held views.
A rare anti-hunting Tory, who campaigned for prison education and once donned a miner's overalls to go down a coal mine, Ann Widdecombe has never shied away from controversy. Her memoirs reveal a singular personality who lives life to the full. From feisty appearances on HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU to her unforgettable and star-turning performances on STRICTLY COME DANCING, Ann has earned her place in the public's affections and has been heralded as a 'national living treasure' by the GUARDIAN.
465 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 20, 2013
Leading us a merry dance...
Ann Widdecombe has had a remarkable and varied career, as a politician, as an author and most recently as a broadcaster and media personality. In this autobiography, her voice comes through clearly as she tells her stories and shares her opinions in the straightforward, no-nonsense way we have all come to love - or hate! This is a linear account of her life with the occasional digression where Widdecombe lets off a bit of pent-up steam on subjects dear to her.
She starts by telling us about her childhood when, as the daughter of a senior member of the Admiralty, her family moved from posting to posting both in Britain and abroad. She talks about her time as a boarder in a convent school and as a student at Birmingham University. She was clear from an early age that she wanted to go into politics so spent the next several years during the '70s and '80s seeking nomination to a constituency, before eventually becoming an MP in 1987.
Widdecombe is a talented writer and she makes this an interesting tale, filled with anecdotes, both humorous and serious. We get a clear picture of the things that are important to her - family, conservatism with a small as well as a large C, and her strong Christian faith: the influence of which can be seen in every aspect of her life. Pro-life, anti-gay marriage, she eventually found the Anglican church in which she grew up to be veering too far from doctrine in an attempt to placate modern sensibilities; and her conversion to Roman Catholicism took place when the Church of England voted to ordain women priests. Whether the reader agrees with her views or not, she puts forward cogent arguments for her beliefs and actions on all of these divisive questions.
Her political career had its highs and lows and this book concentrates very much on the aspects of government in which she was personally involved, rather than giving a broader picture of the political events of the time. Hence we get a great deal of detail over the prisons debacle that led to her public fight with Michael Howard, for example, but very little about the downfall of Thatcher or the lead-up to the war in Iraq. However, her own career was varied enough to provide plenty of interest and her written style is much like her spoken - forthright, uncompromising and often witty.
Widdecombe spends the last couple of chapters telling us about her life since she left Parliament in 2010 including, of course, her involvement with Strictly Come Dancing, which made her a household name even amongst those who pay no attention to politics. Overall, this book confirms my opinion of her as a woman who would probably be intensely irritating on occasion, difficult to persuade, a bad enemy...but a good and loyal friend, a loving daughter and a witty and sometimes wickedly funny companion. This autobiography isn't just for the political nerds amongst us - there's plenty of politics here, but also a story of a much wider and interesting life before and after her time in Parliament. Recommended.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Ann Widdecombe has had a remarkable and varied career, as a politician, as an author and most recently as a broadcaster and media personality. In this autobiography, her voice comes through clearly as she tells her stories and shares her opinions in the straightforward, no-nonsense way we have all come to love - or hate! This is a linear account of her life with the occasional digression where Widdecombe lets off a bit of pent-up steam on subjects dear to her.
She starts by telling us about her childhood when, as the daughter of a senior member of the Admiralty, her family moved from posting to posting both in Britain and abroad. She talks about her time as a boarder in a convent school and as a student at Birmingham University. She was clear from an early age that she wanted to go into politics so spent the next several years during the '70s and '80s seeking nomination to a constituency, before eventually becoming an MP in 1987.
Widdecombe is a talented writer and she makes this an interesting tale, filled with anecdotes, both humorous and serious. We get a clear picture of the things that are important to her - family, conservatism with a small as well as a large C, and her strong Christian faith: the influence of which can be seen in every aspect of her life. Pro-life, anti-gay marriage, she eventually found the Anglican church in which she grew up to be veering too far from doctrine in an attempt to placate modern sensibilities; and her conversion to Roman Catholicism took place when the Church of England voted to ordain women priests. Whether the reader agrees with her views or not, she puts forward cogent arguments for her beliefs and actions on all of these divisive questions.
Her political career had its highs and lows and this book concentrates very much on the aspects of government in which she was personally involved, rather than giving a broader picture of the political events of the time. Hence we get a great deal of detail over the prisons debacle that led to her public fight with Michael Howard, for example, but very little about the downfall of Thatcher or the lead-up to the war in Iraq. However, her own career was varied enough to provide plenty of interest and her written style is much like her spoken - forthright, uncompromising and often witty.
Widdecombe spends the last couple of chapters telling us about her life since she left Parliament in 2010 including, of course, her involvement with Strictly Come Dancing, which made her a household name even amongst those who pay no attention to politics. Overall, this book confirms my opinion of her as a woman who would probably be intensely irritating on occasion, difficult to persuade, a bad enemy...but a good and loyal friend, a loving daughter and a witty and sometimes wickedly funny companion. This autobiography isn't just for the political nerds amongst us - there's plenty of politics here, but also a story of a much wider and interesting life before and after her time in Parliament. Recommended.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
October 5, 2017
Read this book a few weeks ago when some invisible force seemed to draw me to it and a voice in my head said read me.
Don't know what made me want this book but I am so glad that I did.
What a wonderful book and a really lovely lady. Very well written and I burnt the midnight oil because I wanted to finish the book.
Recommended.
Don't know what made me want this book but I am so glad that I did.
What a wonderful book and a really lovely lady. Very well written and I burnt the midnight oil because I wanted to finish the book.
Recommended.
September 7, 2016
(Page references are to the hardback edition published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson.)
I don't read autobiographies of politiicians, and I'm not a fan of 'Strictly'. What made me read this one then? Well, taking the more important aspect first, Anton du Beke has to wait until page 55 for his first mention, and there's strictly only the one image (the last in the book, full page, and rather good actually). And regarding the other aspect, this politician is forthright, outspoken, critical, and a woman, properties shared by most of my closest friends over the years.
Early chapters of biographies I usually skim read in my hurry to get to the 'juicy bits'. But Miss Widdecombe's engaging style and her interesting childhood ensured my close attention from the very beginning. Besides, the 'juicy bits' are well spread throughout the book, on the principle of 'separate the treats'. So on page 7, while discussing childhood friendships, she makes clear her views on gay marriage. Similarly, discussion of her attitude to State intervention today (pp 30-32) arises out of references to her own childhood experiences. So the reader can afford to be patient, as you know she will deal with Messrs Howard, Blair and Cameron et al. all in good time. Always she presents her arguments with irrefutable logic, though you may find yourself disagreeing with her premises. I agreed with her on just about every issue except foxhunting; in Cumbria the hunting is rather different, on foot and with the peasantry (though I doubt the fox appreciates the distinction).
It is well known that she was at Oxford, but what I hadn't known was that the Oxford colleges rejected her initial application to read Law. So she studied Classics at Birmingham, graduating with an Upper Second. Undeterred by her previos rejection (nothing if not persistent, Miss Widdecombe), she then applied again to Oxford to read Politics, Philosophy and Economics, securing a place at Lady Margaret Hall. So she took a second 'first degree', in which she obtained a Third (dear reader, I hope you are not confused).
At Birmingham she had a fistful of female friends, but at Oxford she accumulated a whole army of male fiends, as well as having a three-year romance with one of them. She suggests (p 81) that "the women's colleges ... needed academic success" (which resonates with your reviewer), but that obviously did not apply to Miss Widdecombe (a good degree already under her belt), who made her name in the Oxford Union and laid the foundations for her subsequent parliamentary career.
This forms the central part of the book. While the major events are well chronicled elsewhere, your reviewer is struck by the way that Government is so inhibited by personalities and by structure. There's some confusion in the writing occasionally (too many Michaels and Davids), but I wonder if that might not help reflect the nature of the job itself.
And so to life after Parliament, when Miss Widdecombe set out to have fun. (It wasn't to scandalise the establishment - she had done that already.) And eventually to a house on Dartmoor, with a lovely view. And long may she enjoy it.
I cannot end without quoting (p 233) "that if I see one more mixed singular and plural I should go mad with frustration." On page 66 I had read "many was the translation which was worked out between us." There are arguments for a singular 'many', but I'm not convinced. As with foxhunting, we must disagree.
Though I once (5ft 9 1/2inches) inadvertently nearly knocked her (5ft 1 1/2inches) over in a doorway, I have never actually met Miss Widdecombe. When you have finished this book, dear reader, you may feel that you have. Enjoy!
I don't read autobiographies of politiicians, and I'm not a fan of 'Strictly'. What made me read this one then? Well, taking the more important aspect first, Anton du Beke has to wait until page 55 for his first mention, and there's strictly only the one image (the last in the book, full page, and rather good actually). And regarding the other aspect, this politician is forthright, outspoken, critical, and a woman, properties shared by most of my closest friends over the years.
Early chapters of biographies I usually skim read in my hurry to get to the 'juicy bits'. But Miss Widdecombe's engaging style and her interesting childhood ensured my close attention from the very beginning. Besides, the 'juicy bits' are well spread throughout the book, on the principle of 'separate the treats'. So on page 7, while discussing childhood friendships, she makes clear her views on gay marriage. Similarly, discussion of her attitude to State intervention today (pp 30-32) arises out of references to her own childhood experiences. So the reader can afford to be patient, as you know she will deal with Messrs Howard, Blair and Cameron et al. all in good time. Always she presents her arguments with irrefutable logic, though you may find yourself disagreeing with her premises. I agreed with her on just about every issue except foxhunting; in Cumbria the hunting is rather different, on foot and with the peasantry (though I doubt the fox appreciates the distinction).
It is well known that she was at Oxford, but what I hadn't known was that the Oxford colleges rejected her initial application to read Law. So she studied Classics at Birmingham, graduating with an Upper Second. Undeterred by her previos rejection (nothing if not persistent, Miss Widdecombe), she then applied again to Oxford to read Politics, Philosophy and Economics, securing a place at Lady Margaret Hall. So she took a second 'first degree', in which she obtained a Third (dear reader, I hope you are not confused).
At Birmingham she had a fistful of female friends, but at Oxford she accumulated a whole army of male fiends, as well as having a three-year romance with one of them. She suggests (p 81) that "the women's colleges ... needed academic success" (which resonates with your reviewer), but that obviously did not apply to Miss Widdecombe (a good degree already under her belt), who made her name in the Oxford Union and laid the foundations for her subsequent parliamentary career.
This forms the central part of the book. While the major events are well chronicled elsewhere, your reviewer is struck by the way that Government is so inhibited by personalities and by structure. There's some confusion in the writing occasionally (too many Michaels and Davids), but I wonder if that might not help reflect the nature of the job itself.
And so to life after Parliament, when Miss Widdecombe set out to have fun. (It wasn't to scandalise the establishment - she had done that already.) And eventually to a house on Dartmoor, with a lovely view. And long may she enjoy it.
I cannot end without quoting (p 233) "that if I see one more mixed singular and plural I should go mad with frustration." On page 66 I had read "many was the translation which was worked out between us." There are arguments for a singular 'many', but I'm not convinced. As with foxhunting, we must disagree.
Though I once (5ft 9 1/2inches) inadvertently nearly knocked her (5ft 1 1/2inches) over in a doorway, I have never actually met Miss Widdecombe. When you have finished this book, dear reader, you may feel that you have. Enjoy!
March 23, 2024
A really insightful read. I've always liked Ann but obviously didn't really know as much about her as you think you do from seeing people in the public or the media. It was fascinating to see her childhood the way she grew up with her Father a high up serving part of the Admiralty. Due to his job the family moved quite often while Ann was growing up & her Brother was left behind for some years before the families return to England. Ann has worked hard to get where she did & strived for her colleagues & her constituents. She walked a tough line in the difficult world of politics. Trying to balance the pressures of higher ministers against her own moral, honest & deeply religious personal views. It's a shame you didn't stand as leader of the party Ann. You'd have made a fine one & a good Prime Minister.
There is a lot of heavy, long winded political terminology but I'd advise you not to brush over it without taking the time to understand it whilst reading this book. The red tape & processes to certain government/ministerial rulings etc is explained in parts & I now have a deeper knowledge if still not complete understanding of the goings on involved in governance.
There is a lot of heavy, long winded political terminology but I'd advise you not to brush over it without taking the time to understand it whilst reading this book. The red tape & processes to certain government/ministerial rulings etc is explained in parts & I now have a deeper knowledge if still not complete understanding of the goings on involved in governance.
May 6, 2020
Entertaining, inspirational and informative
One of the best known British politicians of the last thirty years, best selling novelist, and television personality, Ann unfolds the story of her life with grace and skill. She reveals three truths and myths of many of the high profile happenings during her time on the backbenches, as a Government minister, and on the Opposition front bench. She is plain spoken about her former parliamentary colleagues, but never fails to share the virtues of those without whom she had private or sometimes very public conflicts. Without in any way being self congratulating, her devotion to her family and to her Christian faith shines through it all as an integral part of the story of who she is. As a true reflection of her life, this memoir never suffers from a dull moment.
One of the best known British politicians of the last thirty years, best selling novelist, and television personality, Ann unfolds the story of her life with grace and skill. She reveals three truths and myths of many of the high profile happenings during her time on the backbenches, as a Government minister, and on the Opposition front bench. She is plain spoken about her former parliamentary colleagues, but never fails to share the virtues of those without whom she had private or sometimes very public conflicts. Without in any way being self congratulating, her devotion to her family and to her Christian faith shines through it all as an integral part of the story of who she is. As a true reflection of her life, this memoir never suffers from a dull moment.
January 4, 2018
I started reading this book enthusiastically as I had read and enjoyed Ann's novel 'Act of Treachery'.
I have admired Ann's determination and strong mindedness, even though I do not agree with some of her views. I enjoyed the chapters about her childhood as I could relate to much of it. The chapters relating to her political life gave an interesting insight into the halls of power but went into great depth on some issues and felt to me as if she was trying to justify her actions or have the last say in a battle. I found this tedious and my opinion of Ann was much diminished. I think the title 'Strictly Ann' is a bit misleading as the ''Strictly Come Dancing' aspect of the book is minimal.
I have admired Ann's determination and strong mindedness, even though I do not agree with some of her views. I enjoyed the chapters about her childhood as I could relate to much of it. The chapters relating to her political life gave an interesting insight into the halls of power but went into great depth on some issues and felt to me as if she was trying to justify her actions or have the last say in a battle. I found this tedious and my opinion of Ann was much diminished. I think the title 'Strictly Ann' is a bit misleading as the ''Strictly Come Dancing' aspect of the book is minimal.
January 2, 2018
This book was much better than I anticipated. I like to read about serious figures in the public eye, and have always admired this lady (if not her political beliefs). The book gives insights that few will know about, such as her being a published fiction author. I really enjoyed the book due mainly to her having no problem laughing at or criticising herself! Would have received five stars if not for me getting bogged down in the parliamentary detail.
August 13, 2025
Some interesting parts. Don't agree with all her views but clearly an intelligent woman either integrity. Skipped some of the political descriptions as they were too much for me but finished the book and had learned a lot about her.
October 4, 2020
well written ,informative and entertaining book
August 3, 2025
Enjoyed this book.
September 3, 2025
Widdecombe's "Strictly Ann" is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Not least when she all but accuses Blair of perjury over his conversion ;-)
November 11, 2016
Very enjoyable, I like biographies, even of folk I wouldn't normally enjoy the company of. How they have become who they are, what they have done and how they have over come is very interesting. This was a great romp through life that was one of poverty and privileged in different ways. Worth a read.
December 19, 2016
This is a good read - I didn't know she wrote novels - anyway, it's rare to read a book by a politician that isn't like eating rocks. I learned a lot and enjoyed it.
There isn't much about Strictly, despite the title, but I didn't mind that.
I do admire a woman who stands up for her principles and is immune to the pressure to fit in.
There isn't much about Strictly, despite the title, but I didn't mind that.
I do admire a woman who stands up for her principles and is immune to the pressure to fit in.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews