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Original poster

Ann Widdecombe's agony column

28 replies

Janh · 29/03/2004 10:15

Very common sense - gosh, I'm finding myself agreeing with her! Buck up!

There's an interview in the Graun today too - love the last para!

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spacemonkey · 29/03/2004 10:23

LOL!

Will go and look forthwith!

Hulababy · 29/03/2004 10:27

My MIL went to a WI meeting with Ann Widdowcombe yesterday and was very impressed.

kiwisbird · 29/03/2004 10:39

She has become some form of national treasure in an odd way.
I have always found her slightly amusing and no nonsense
My mother says she forced a woman in prison to give birth in some horrendous manner before whipping the baby off her?
This was before I came to Uk so not sure what happened?

spacemonkey · 29/03/2004 10:40

omg that is HILARIOUS! thanks for the link jan

kiwisbird · 29/03/2004 10:43

Ps did they make up that ex husband?
Not heard of one like that before?

Original poster
Janh · 29/03/2004 11:07

kiwisbird, there was a case of a pregnant woman being taken to hospital in handcuffs, can't remember details, will have a google. AW wouldn't have been personally reponsible but she was Prisons minister I spose.

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spacemonkey · 29/03/2004 11:20

she was a dangerous hateful beast when she was in a position to wield power over people, but now she's a hilarious eccentric

i dimly remember the handcuffed mother case too

kiwisbird · 29/03/2004 11:21

not a lot on google aside from AW threatening to sue anyone who repeats such allegations. LOl
My mum was always capable of making up her own story -

Original poster
Janh · 29/03/2004 11:26

Hard to find details of the case all the fuss was about - it was in 1994 at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester. This page from Sheila Kitzinger has a lot of stuff about pregnant women in prison.

Apparently a pregnant prisoner would generally be taken from prison to hospital in handcuffs but then the cuffs would be removed while she was there. This bit from a BBC page (with a very scary pic of Ann W at her mad Tory maddest) says

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ks · 29/03/2004 11:38

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Original poster
Janh · 29/03/2004 11:43

Really, ks? Boring and irrelevant? I thought most of it was quite sensible if slightly OTT.

Thing is she's not a washed-up Tory at the mo - she has become like Tony Benn, giving talks people are clamouring for - I think the Graun may be bandwagoning a bit.

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spacemonkey · 29/03/2004 11:45

she might be an old bag, but i wouldn't describe her as boring

ks · 29/03/2004 11:47

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spacemonkey · 29/03/2004 11:48

ks i've finished the book! have started new thread under book club

ks · 29/03/2004 11:50

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Original poster
Janh · 29/03/2004 11:53

Well I used to loathe and despise her - one of us must have mellowed!

Do you really think the G has done it to upset people? I suppose that's possible...shall look out for hysterical responses tomorrow!

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spacemonkey · 29/03/2004 11:54

It's a jokey thing, surely?

Anyone who takes offence at it has got to be a humourless fool!

Definite bandwaggoning from the graun tho

ks · 29/03/2004 11:56

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spacemonkey · 29/03/2004 12:01

argh no you're not a humourless fool ks!

I still seethe about Thatch's crimes against humanity. Somehow I have managed to soften towards Widdecombe and Portillo though.

ks · 29/03/2004 12:19

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suedonim · 29/03/2004 14:29

Well, that gave me a good laugh, Janh, thank you! It's tongue in cheek, isn't it, with a smattering of sense thrown in.

Did anyone see that programme a few years ago with AW and Wotsisname Theroux? I loved her old mum, she was a gay old bird, speaking out of turn, hee hee.

Croak · 29/03/2004 14:46

Couldn't stand Ann when she was 'important' but now that she's finished politically I just find her funny - loved the Louis Theroux programme Suedonim, watched celebrity fat club just to see what she was going to get up to each week and must admit that the title 'Buck up' keeps making me snigger for some unknown reason. If you're ever particularly bored, her website, called the 'Widdy Web' is also good for a laugh.
ks - after the tablecloths thread you could certainly never be accused of being humourless, although perhaps your dislike of AW is down to the fact that she sounds very similar to tablecloth woman Must disagree with you about Michael Portillo though, he must never be rehabilitated. While I think Ann is just politically washed up and has realised she can make a bob or two out of being barmy, I can never get over my suspiscion that Portillo is cynically trying to worm his way back into power with his nice and caring act and that then he will give an evil laugh, return to being Thatcher's love child and screw us all.

eddm · 01/04/2004 23:16

Oh, can't believe I missed this thread! I loved her column esp. advice to evil woman who thought her dh should be putting his new family first and not supporting his child. And have always been quite worried by the misogynistic media take on AW because she didn't fit the stereotype for women in public life. But the women in labour in chains was very disturbing - I know she says she was misrepresented but I'm sure I remember her defending this policy.

slug · 02/04/2004 11:00

Naah, Widdiscum is mysognistic herself. This is the woman who made a big song and dance about leaving the Church of England for Catholicism because the CofE were introducing women priests.

Heathcliffscathy · 02/04/2004 11:06

a friend of mine who works on current affairs tv progs and is also gay incidentally (only relevant cause of ann widdecombe's views on this) when asked who were the poloticians he'd come across that he most admired replied tony benn and ann widdecombe: opposite ends of the political spectrum, but whilst he disagreed strongly with her views she was one of v v few politicians that has some integrity and spine...i thought that was interesting...