Adam Boulton summarises Ann Widdecombe as ‘a spinster, an old maid and a virgin’

How horribly rude and dismissive. I think they seem pretty sound choices for an intelligent woman.

My opinion of Coles went up a notch based on that kind, honest and mature statement.

What has happened to common decency in this country? The poor woman has just been murdered ffs. There are people all over social media & the MSM pulling her private and professional reputation apart. It's appalling and they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. But it would appear that shame is also passé these days.

*I'm a steadfast leftist. Just to be clear.

Horrified by the Adam Boulton comment. Even without the fact that she appears to have been murdered, it is despicable.

Richard Coles's comment on FB was a much better attempt (I thought anyway) at reconciling the fact that he liked her as a person but hated her politics.

Prayers offered for the soul of Ann Widdecombe who I knew a bit, both as an adversary and as an inconveniently congenial acquaintance.

I have never felt quite so drawn to someone personally and repulsed politicially simultaneously. It happens not infrequently now but she was the first.

I would like to say this all works out in the end, and it does in eternity. In this life it is hard to see.

But the old order has passed away.

Heavenly Father
You have called your servant Ann
out of this world;
release her from the bonds of sin,
and welcome her into your presence,
so that she may enjoy eternal light and peace
and be raised up in glory
And dance with all your saints.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

EDIT: I’ve heard the news. Awful. I’m so sorry.

Disgraceful comment. Ofcom wont do anything though as they are useless.

That's interesting. McGuire's often very intolerant and dismissive of women so it's it's good to see him channelling his grown up human side.

That is just utterly disgusting

AB left Sky in 2021, on the basis that people of his vintage no longer had a place in the changing news industry.'
"I've just got to accept to a certain point that you and I, we're tail-end baby boomers, and there's a kind of move against the baby boomers,"
Adam Boulton: Sky News veteran to leave station after 32 years

I was surprised to see him popping up again recently on Sky News review of the papers, and I noticed that he was saying some eyebrow-raising things.

If he's identifying as some sort of leftover from an older, more genteel generation which was replaced by a younger, tough, ruthless 24 hr news cycle, I'm surprised he doesn't remember the tradition that is usually observed when someone dies:
'Of the dead, nothing but good is to be said'
at least until after they have been laid to rest.

The media is full of people who disagreed vehemently with most if not all of AW's opinions and attitudes, who nonetheless had the decency and dignity to find positive things to say about the sincerity of her beliefs, her commitment to public life etc.

Shame on AB.

Boulton is a professional, many decades in the business, he knew what he was doing. Clear misogyny.

I some respects martial and family status is important to murder investigations as it can rule out family members etc. But a brief "she lived on her own and had no children" would be sufficient, not his tawdry comments.

But I do see this attitude with both men and women who live a celibate life, there is an incredulous and dismissive attitude in the media, particular when they are the victim to a heinous crime.

@IrnBruAndDietCokeThanks that's helpful. It's definitely not an acceptable thing for a female to be spoken about this way.

It's Bro Code for some man should have given her a good fuck years ago then she would have been a proper women, not the sort women this obnoxious prick objects too.

Boulton is very much an establishment figure, I doubt Ofcom would be interested, as they are very much about protecting the old guard from new rivals (heavy interest in protecting BBC et al from social media etc).

It seems like his apology is attacking people for criticising him with his "just doing my job" schtick.

Seems like a lot of people are trying to justify her murder by stating her views and lifestyle. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

All too happy to demand others be cancelled.

I guess because she didn't have a man to be defined by. No wife of or mother of to diminish her by so they need to find another way to reflect that she is support human rather than the superior male type.

Kemi is amazing

Another disgusting man

How the hell does a " political commentator" think it's relevant to refer to a woman as A Virgin?
I suppose maybe if your name was Gabriel or Herod it could be relevant. But that was a few thousand years ago.

Does anyone know which sky news show it was on, for the ofcom complaint?

AFAIK, individual complaints to Ofcom are best. If you’re complaining to Sky News it might be different. But raw numbers of Ofcom complaints can and do influence TV producers decisions to give someone serious airtime or whether to just trot them out occasionally for the car crash TV.

Poor Ann. I really respected her as a woman who stood up for what she believed would improve the world. Have Reform made a statement yet or is Nigel too busy trying to win a fight with a man with a bin on his head?

She certainly is. He must be furious that a black woman dares to have opinions he doesn’t approve of - she must be put in her place.

The coverage of her murder has generally been appalling. There was a vile thread on here with countless posters displaying toddler levels of commentary about her and her beliefs that often matched the abuse from men like Heather Herbert & Peter Tatchell.

Very depressing all round.

I think it’s Adam Boulton. Just incase any Andrew’s get grief over this.

While they are allowed to disagree - as would I - with many of her politics and opinions, I suspect what the misogynists out there still can’t deal with, is the fact that Anne herself couldn’t give a shit. It’s all very burn the witch isn’t it?

She has been treated badly across the media imo - the Times obit led with a comment on her ‘matronly manner’
Go fuck yourselves, male commentators.

The establishment left discussing any right wing women is disgusting and dripping in misogyny.

All James O'Brien talks about in every LBC show now is how 'thick' Kemi Badenoch is.

She's 100 times more clever than him!

I was rather appalled - and then I thought what is wrong with any of those labels if you step back and think about it?

Time we just re-cast them in public opinion. There is no shame in any of them.

What she had was intellectual integrity - regardless of whether you agreed with her - and to me that is of far more interest than any of those names.

I think it was probably rudely meant, but then perhaps best taken as sticks and stones.