The parliamentary standards watchdog has opened an investigation into Reform UK deputy Richard Tice. The allegation focuses on Tice failing to declare an interest that related to a Commons debate on Israeli influence.

Tice himself has disputed media reporting, although the following claim is in part at odds with what the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards stated.

Contrary to garbage in media:

I am being investigated for standing against antisemitism. You could not make it up.

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Standards Commissioner is considering complaint by anti semitic anti Israel lobby group over whether I should have referenced my register of interests at start of…

— Richard Tice MP (@TiceRichard) August 3, 2026

Richard Tice claims probe is over antisemitism stance

In full, Tice said:

Contrary to garbage in media:

I am being investigated for standing against antisemitism. You could not make it up.

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Standards Commissioner is considering complaint by anti semitic anti Israel lobby group over whether I should have referenced my register of interests at start of a debate on UK democracy and Israeli influence.

The same anti Israel group failed to notify Commissioner that Ayoub Khan MP did not declare his substantial donation received from a pro Palestine group.

Funny that…..

Adding further context, the BBC reported:

Reform said Tice did not mention in his 22 June speech that he had been on a trip to Israel last September, funded by a pro-Israel lobbying group.

The trip has been listed in Tice’s Declaration of Members’ Interests.

Here is what the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner published regarding the ongoing investigation:

Therefore, it is not the case that the commissioner is investigating Tice for “standing against antisemitism”, as he suggested.

The ‘Rule 6’ stipulates:

Members must always be open and frank in declaring any relevant interest in any proceeding of the House or its committees, and in any communications with ministers, members, public officials or public office holders.

Additional guidance states that MPs can refer to register of interests entries but:

Such a reference will not suffice on its own, as the declaration must provide sufficient information to convey the nature of the interest without the listener or the reader having to have recourse to the Register or other publication.

Israeli influence

The debate in question happened as a result of a Parliament petition passing 100,000 signatures. The petition read:

We are concerned about reported Israeli state-linked and pro-Israel lobbying activity in UK politics. We believe it is important to determine the scope and impact of any such influence campaigns.

We feel that the horrific devastation in Gaza, the ongoing suppression of Palestinians in the West Bank, and the UK’s political response underline the urgent need to scrutinise how pro-Israel organisations, networks, and lobbying efforts may shape government decisions, party policy, and public debate.

Featured image via Office of the President of Israel/ X

By Willem Moore

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There are many miserable people in Great Britain who love to spread their misery around. One such person is  Jeremy Clarkson, who seemingly spends his free time devising new ways to belittle benefit claimants.

NEW: Jeremy Clarkson says benefits claimants should be forced to write a genuine thank you email to a random worker every week

“It is SO kind of you to go to work every day so that I don’t have to. Thanks to you I was able to buy an even bigger television this week”

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) August 3, 2026

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As many have pointed out, Clarkson himself is a beneficiary of government money. In other words, expect a thank you letter from him sometime soon.

Jeremy Clarkson, the meat w*nker

In his latest piece for the Times, Clarkson compares welfare recipients to dogs. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the broadcaster suggested that welfare recipients are actually worse than animals, because “at least dogs are grateful”.

Speaking of gratitude, now is a good time to remind you Clarkson once punched a man because the platter of meat he brought was cold — not hot, as Jeremy would have preferred. Is this the famous ‘gratitude’ he’s speaking of?

Clarkson’s piece begins:

As I’m sure you’ve heard, there are now more than a million young people in this country who are not working. They’re not even looking for work. They’re just sitting at home all day, gormlessly watching shortform nonsense on their massive vulgarsonic televisions.

Nearly a million young people being out of work is true. The idea that none of them are “even looking for work” is some shite he made up. Also, we’re not sure he should be criticising people for “gormlessly watching nonsense on television” given that he was the host of Top Gear.

If you live in the world, you’re no doubt unsurprised to learn that a significant number of young people are out of work. The high streets are run down, many jobs have been lost to automation, and people can’t afford to go out, which means fewer jobs in hospitality. These are all areas in which young people traditionally worked, so of course fewer of them are in work.

Plus, the rise in national minimum wage has reduced the jobs available for youngsters.

While he’s coming at it from the wrong angle, Clarkson isn’t wrong to suggest social media is having an impact. Because of phones, we’re never more than a swipe away from seeing how the other half lives. You don’t think that will instill a sense of hopelessness in young people who can’t even get an interview in retail?

Clarkson clueless about PIP

Like everyone on the right, Clarkson doesn’t understand how Personal Independence Payments (PIP) work. Clarkson suggests they’re given to people for not working, but Rachel Charlton-Dailey explained:

PIP isn’t an out-of-work benefit and has nothing to do with employment.

Here’s what Clarkson said:

And what makes this especially dispiriting is that if they’ve got ants in their pants, or ADHD as it’s now called, or some other head-based issue with an acronym, the state will give them up to £194 a week. Which is £100 more than they’d get if they got off their arses and did some kind of part-time work in the local shop.

Charlton-Dailey reported that about four in 10 claimants with ADHD receive the top rate of £194. As this is PIP, many will be in work because that’s how PIP functions.

Misery loves company

Clarkson’s piece contains a long section about his dogs, in which he admits that they sometimes shit in his house (training issue). He then gets to his idea to belittle benefit claimants:

It’s very simple. Every week, when the benefits are paid, the recipient is given the email address of a randomly selected person who is getting up and going to work every day. And they are told that unless a proper and genuine email is sent, thanking the working person for their generosity, the benefits will stop. And I’m not talking about a cursory “thanks mate”. I want fulsomeness. I want to hear what they’ve done with the £194 I gave them that week. And I want effusiveness as well. I want to feel their gratitude.

“It is SO kind of you to go to work every day so that I don’t have to. Thanks to you I was able to buy an even bigger television this week”

This way, the communists in the Labour party would be happy because the benefits are still being paid. And the taxpayer will feel a bit better too because they’re at least being thanked.

This might not need pointing out, but this is blatant right-wing propaganda. We have a benefits system to ensure:

• Those who become unemployed can survive between jobs
• Sick and disabled people don’t become homeless
• People of retirement age are able to retire

£29 a week doesn't even cover a basic grocery top-up, yet @JeremyClarkson thinks disabled people and trauma survivors owe the public a handwritten thank-you note for it. https://t.co/KonzXmfD2v

— Dr_Rebecca (@Dr_Bekka_UK) August 3, 2026

The benefits system was designed to benefit everyone besides the ultra-wealthy — the people who will never require government support for themselves or their loved ones. The reason they’ll never require it isn’t because they’re inherently better than us; it’s because they and their ancestors benefitted from the fruits of other people’s labour.

Jeremy Clarkson benefits from govt handouts

These ultra-wealthy people use their position of influence to highlight the small numbers of people who are, admittedly, taking the piss, to tarnish the reputation of the entire benefits system. For what? So they can get away with paying less tax?

Clarkson has an estimated net worth of £50 million by the way. Despite this, he’s accepted the following government and EU subsidies:

• Environmental Stewardship scheme (£116,352)
• Basic Payment Scheme (£133,733)

The government subsidises things like farming because crops — much like people — are needed to ensure society remains functional. The right-wing press doesn’t criticise farming subsidies because the land barons who benefit from them are often right-wing themselves. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

Says the man who bought a farm partly to avoid inheritance tax! He should write one to the 35,000 grieving relatives who have to pay it this year saying thanks for paying it so farmers can have a £2.5m allowance and half the rate of tax above that! https://t.co/cuVU9XH26S

— Paul Lewis (@paullewismoney) August 3, 2026

This aside, there is a method for people to make money without working, and that method is to be born wealthy.

If a person has a million pounds, they can pay a second person to turn that fortune into more money through investing and asset hoarding. Over time, this has led to a situation in which global wealth is concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer people. And wouldn’t you know it, this has also coincided with there being fewer opportunities for ordinary working people.

To be fair to Jeremy Clarkson, he does seem like someone who works hard. The problem is, he works hard at being a f*cking knucklehead.

The longer we allow the rich to seize all the wealth, the worse things will get. The worse things get, the more that the rich will blame us for the problems they created.

Featured image via Acub Porzycki/ Getty Images

By Willem Moore

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The cyber-criminal group ExfilSquad has leaked the names and contact details of more than 100,000 police staff on the dark web.

The news follows threats from the same group last week to leak more data unless public institutions met their demands for payment. ExfilSquad posted on X:

Check your emails! We warned most of you before posting these public warnings!!

Once your company’s data is posted here, it’s NEVER leaving the public eye and it will be passed around the internet FOREVER.

The payment we request of you is simply a rounding error compared to the litigation costs of your data leaking. Be smart and just pay.

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Hackers put multiple organisations under threat

Last week, the Canary reported that the same hackers had posted data stolen from the Department for Education (DfE) and the Police National Legal Database (PNLD). A source explained that a majority of the 145,550 full-time police officers employed in England and Wales have used the PNLD as part of their daily work.

Whilst ExfilSquad stated that they targeted 14 institutions in total, the identities of the others were not public knowledge. However, the most recent reporting from the Telegraph has revealed that the wide-scale hack targeted the Crown Prosecution Service, Home Office, Ministry of Defence and the National Crime Agency.

Likewise, the cyber criminals also breached Newcastle University — the only non-state body named so far. ExfilSquad reportedly stole data including the names, addresses and phone numbers of both staff and students.

The university has already begun an investigation into the exact nature of the attack and the vulnerability of its systems.

Cybersecurity adviser Jake Moore, of European infosec giant Eset, explained:

The information put on the dark web should not be underestimated. More experienced threat actors see it as highly valuable because it enables them to personalise follow-up attacks, such as phishing or social engineering, which puts even more data at risk.

***

These attacks are becoming more common as criminals increasingly automate their tactics with ease and exploit the development using AI. The knock-on effect means organisations are facing a far higher volume of attacks, often with far less effort required from the attacker.

‘Officers at serious risk’

The Times reported that a government spokesperson declined to comment on the security breach, stating:

We have dedicated capabilities to respond to cyber incidents, and it would be inappropriate to comment on a live investigation.

However, a staff member from one of the targeted law enforcement organisations said: 

I have worked in serious organised crime and put high-level criminals behind bars. For private information to be leaked about me is very disconcerting and puts officers at serious risk.

In the past I have been forced to move into safe houses and sell cars due to my job. Now I will have to keep my wits about me online and look out for anyone trying to get more serious information. It is not a good look.

Featured image via Ethan Wilkinson/ Unsplash

By Grace

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A new four‑day vegan festival in London, billed as being “built on principles of love and kindness for all sentient beings” has been cancelled after complaints from UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI).

The Scout Association cancelled the Great Vegan Festival’s venue booking just weeks before the event was to take place at their Gilwell Park Activity Centre in Chingford.

The association pulled the plug after UKLFI wrote to management warning them that several acts on the line‑up were “antisemitic”.

A statement from the Great Vegan Gathering read:

After pressure from UK Lawyers for Israel, Gilwell Park decided to cancel our venue hire contract just weeks before the event. As vegans, we oppose oppression in any context and therefore stand resolutely against Israel’s genocide of Palestinian humans and animals in Gaza.

It is deeply regrettable that an event seeking to raise funds for rescued animals at sanctuaries was attacked by UKLFI, an anti-Palestinian group that has repeatedly targeted cultural events and organisations.

The Scout Association has cancelled a venue booking by a vegan music festival after @UKLFI warned that bands on its line-up had promoted material alleged to be antisemitic and supportive of violence against Israelis. Read more: https://t.co/66wGB1NVa6

— UK Lawyers For Israel (@UKLFI) July 30, 2026

UKLFI accuses musicians of ‘endorsing violence’

UKLFI claimed the musicians had published or performed material that “endorsed violence, vilified Israel and Israelis, and risked stirring up racial hatred”.

The bands HAWXX, Active Slaughter, and Millie Manders and the Shutup were specifically mentioned by UKLFI. They had previously spoken up against ‘Israel’s’ genocide, colonialism and fascism, and the criminal IOF.

UKLFI highlighted several of their songs, to justify its actions.

One of these was Active Slaughter’s song, It’s Not Anti-Semitic to Hate Fascists, which UKLFI claimed “accuses Israeli forces of killing ‘for fun’ and planting knives beside injured Palestinian teenagers”. But this is true, as this film about Palestinian human rights defenders in Hebron clearly shows.

Israeli forces have filmed knives being planted beside Palestinian youths on more than one occasion.

UKLFI also claimed that if the festival went ahead in its proposed form, it could expose the Scout Association, as the venue operator, to legal, safeguarding and reputational risks.

Andrew Thorp, deputy public relations lead for the Scout Association, told us:

A decision has been made to cancel the hire of our venue for The Great Vegan Gathering at Gilwell Park.

Following the initial confirmation of the booking, we conducted a review into some actions taken by the event organisers. The review concluded that these actions were not consistent with Scout values or our venue hire policies.

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As a result, we have informed the organisers that the event will not proceed at Gilwell Park.

We remain committed to ensuring that all activity taking place at our venues reflects our values and supports an inclusive, respectful and welcoming environment for everyone.”

The Canary asked Thorp for more details, but he did not respond further.

Repeat targeting of cultural organisations and events

Anyone cancelling the use of their venue based on this should be absolutely ashamed, and consulting their lawyers @scoutadventures

All solidarity with the Great Vegan Gathering.@MiddleEastEye pic.twitter.com/JT49cZky0O

— Stop genocide. End apartheid. Free Palestine (@JonWooders) July 30, 2026

JJ Maguire, a singer in Active Slaughter, told Middle East Eye:

My Jewish granddad escaped persecution in Nazi Germany, but many of his family members were murdered…It’s with him in mind that I founded a band which, in keeping with punk traditions, refuses far right politics wherever it rears its head.

***

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I was absolutely appalled to learn that UK Lawyers for Israel had mounted an attack on our pro-Palestine free speech.

Millie Manders, from the band, Millie Manders and the Shutup, said:

My band and I are proud to support justice for all animals and humans. This includes opposing Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, a position shared by millions of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and atheists – people from every background.

Manders added:

We will never stop advocating for what’s right.

Attempted erasure of Palestine

UKLFI uses tactics of “legal intimidation” to silence pro-Palestine, or anti-‘Israel’ speech and activism. It sends letters, suggesting the possibility of legal action, while events are told they raise legal or equality concerns. The institution on the receiving end then risks legal action, costs and reputational damage.

By doing this the organisation erodes democratic rights as it aims to erase Palestine from public life. It has taken matters upon itself to police our speech and actions. Academic institutions, the internet, sports, public institutions, charities, councils, companies and individuals have all come under fire.

In 2026, its actions led to the cancellation of academic events and the banning of Palestine Solidarity symbols worn by various railway, airport and hospital staff. It has also influenced guidance on investment of council pension funds.

Worryingly, two encyclopedias were told by UKLFI that their referencing to Palestine was incorrect. In addition, academic institutions have changed the description and wording of courses to remove the word ‘Palestine’.

Of course, UKLFI is lying when it states its concerns are “rooted in historical accuracy and educational responsibility”.

The Scouts have been repeatedly targeted. In January, UKLFI wrote to a north London Scout group after an adult leader wore a keffiyeh, arguing the conduct may amount to harassment under the Equality Act.

In February, UKLFI wrote again after staff were seen wearing symbols of support for Palestine.

..@UklfiT has written to a North London Scout group after being informed that an adult leader at a Beavers meeting for children aged six to eight wore a keffiyeh, a garment with widely recognised political significance connected to the Palestinian cause. https://t.co/OBaLqtrVy1

— UK Lawyers For Israel (@UKLFI) January 17, 2026

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UKLFI’s role in shutting down Palestine discourse

In August 2025, UKLFI complained to Hertfordshire Scouts about Camp Wilayah, an annual Islamic children’s summer camp on its land. UKLFI alleged breaches of the Public Order Act, the Counter‑Terrorism and Security Act and the Children Act. The Scouts cancelled the booking, even though the camp had taken place for more than 13 years with no complaints.

The European Legal Support Centre (ELSC) and Forensic Architecture labelled UKLFI a “major actor” in the repression of pro‑Palestinian activism in the UK.

It exploits the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which equates criticism of ‘Israel’ with antisemitism. It also exploits terror legislation to create a chilling effect on pro-Palestine discourse.

Various organisations are taking action against UKLFI’s threatening behaviour and weaponisation of the law.

The Public Interest Law Centre (PILC) and ELSC have filed a 114‑page complaint with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. They claim UKLFI is using legal threats as a form of strategic intimidation to shut down public debate on Palestine. As such, they are calling for UKLFI to be regulated as an unregistered law firm.

The Charity Commission is also investigating UKLFI’s charitable wing after a complaint by CAGE. CAGE accused it of “engaging in vexatious and malicious complaints” against pro-Palestinian activism, while “masquerading as a charity.”

Senior barristers linked to the group also face a separate complaint over their role as patrons.

$730m hasbara budget making no difference

Pressure from UKLFI is part of a much larger, state‑backed effort to manage the occupation’s global image. In 2026, the ‘Israeli’ government approved a public diplomacy budget of roughly $730m.

Foreign minister Gideon Saar argues that managing ‘Israel’s’ image should be treated like “investing in jets, bombs, and missile interceptors”.

More than $50m is going into digital ad buys, around $40m into flying in delegations, and tens of millions more into influencer networks, AI‑driven content tools and targeted campaigns aimed at US universities and young Americans, where support for ‘Israel’ has plummeted.

Despite this unprecedented propaganda budget, unfavourable views continue to rise. No amount of money or digital campaigns can buy back the truth. The official story, framing ‘Israel’ as a democracy under threat, which treats all criticism as antisemitism and refers Palestinian resistance as terrorism, is starting to fall apart.

Featured image via Vegan FTA

By Charlie Jaay

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So-called ‘Israel’ continued to livestream the extermination of an entire people over the weekend, with a massive string of atrocities across Gaza.

On Saturday 1 August, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) targeted warehouses used for storing medicines at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. According to Drop Site News, the buildings contained “critical supplies and equipment for kidney dialysis”.

Referencing Zionist policies that severely restrict aid to Gaza, hospital director, Raed Hussein, said “supplies have never been fully provided” over the past three years of genocide. He said any that do get in arrive “in a limited and reduced manner”.

Now, Zionist terrorists have destroyed even that small quantity of medical equipment.

The blast left an enormous crater and destroyed large numbers of tents people had been using as makeshift shelter, alongside their belongings. Fatima Sharab was one of those left bereft.

She told Drop Site:

The mattresses, blankets we’d managed to gather after losing them 15 times, they’re gone again. What is left after this?

‘Israel’wants to spread disease throughout Gaza

In response to the attack, Munir al-Bursh, director-general of the Palestinian Ministry of Health – Gaza, said:

When the occupation fights people by destroying medicines and preventing medicine from entering, it turns medicine and illness itself into a tool of war.

Spreading epidemics as a means of mass murder is stated as an ‘Israeli’ policy. Giora Eiland, a retired major-general and still a key figure in the apartheid entity’s security establishment, said:

The international community warns us of a humanitarian disaster in Gaza and of severe epidemics. We must not shy away from this, as difficult as that may be. After all, severe epidemics in the south of the Gaza Strip will bring victory closer and reduce casualties among IDF soldiers.

In response, Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, commented:

I agree with every word.

On the same day as the medical warehouse war crime, the IOF murdered “at least seven Palestinians”, the Palestinian Wafa news agency told media. In one atrocity:

An Israeli drone attack killed two people in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood…

The IOF killed another Palestinian in a Deir el-Balah drone strike and slaughtered another person “.in a strike on a tent near a school in al-Mawasi, north of Khan Younis”, Al Jazeera reported.

Terrorist forces killed three more people through the use of drones and air strikes later in the day.

Sunday 2 August was even more horrific as butchers serving the land theft project killed at least 19 people. Pulitzer Prize winning writer, Mosab Abu Toha, who documents much of the daily crimes the IOF carries out, said the killing started when:

Israel carried out a strike on an apartment in Gaza City at 1:13 a.m. local time. Two parents and their child were burnt to death. A few minutes before that, Israel bombed a house in Der el-Balah in Central Gaza, killing two people.

Footage shows child casualties of Zionist crimes

Abu Toha shared graphic footage of what appears to be the child victim of that attack. Drop Site News provided similarly harrowing evidence of other innocent children horribly wounded by yet another illegal strike “on a residential apartment in the al-Mawasi area, northwest of Khan Younis, early Sunday”.

Three Palestinians, including a child, were killed in the strike on the Hamza family’s apartment, according to Shehab News Agency.

Drop Site provided a list of the atrocities Zionists carried out during the 24-hour period, detailing at least 10 separate attacks during what Western media still absurdly calls a “ceasefire”. Since the supposed cessation of hostilities began in October 2025, apartheid land thieves have murdered “1,233 Palestinians, including 266 children“.

This is far more than the number of ‘Israeli’ civilians killed on 7 October. In response to that, Western mainstream media reacted with horror and proceeded to cheer on the Gaza holocaust. However, daily IOF atrocities contributing to that continuing extermination campaign are largely ignored.

It was therefore left to Mosab Abu Toha to call Western complicity to account in the wake of the latest wave of barbarism.

He wrote:

While you are enjoying time with your families this summer, traveling to water parks, hiking through the woods, picking blueberries, and photographing mushrooms and rocks, Gazan families continue to be slaughtered in their tents, burned alive, and torn apart by Israeli attacks.

Children continue to be targeted. Those who survive are often left as the sole survivors of their families or are permanently disabled.

None of this would be possible without the political, military, and financial support provided by the United States and many European governments.

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Israel must be held accountable and punished for its heinous and live-streamed war crimes. This video you are seeing is from this early morning in Gaza. Do these kids not look like yours? Do you really appreciate kids and family?

Featured image via Mahmoud Issa/ Reuters

By Robert Freeman

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Ann Widdecombe: 4 October 1947 – c. 8 July 2026 | Image by: Colin McPherson / Alamy

11 min read1 hr

Fearless, honest and articulate, Ann Widdecombe was a warm and generous friend. A conviction politician whose principles were underpinned by her faith and patriotism, she was always true to her herself. Words by Lord Alton, Baroness Hoey and Baroness Browning

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Ann Widdecombe was a fearless and faithful friend, writes Lord Alton

In 1979 we nearly became election opponents when she and Frank Field chased the Conservative and Labour nominations in the by-election at Liverpool Edge Hill.

Nine years later, now MP for Maidstone, Ann joined the Standing Committee on my Private Members’ Bill to reduce the 28 weeks upper time limit for abortion. At meetings all over the UK we spoke at public meetings explaining why, despite other political differences, we were united by our belief in the right to life.

Ann had been deeply shocked by the Carlisle baby case – a baby aborted at 21 weeks gestation – and she later asked the Commons, “how can one accept, when a child has been breathing without the aid of artificial equipment, has a pulse rate and has survived for three hours, that that was not a live birth? Under what circumstances do we call a person an unperson?”

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She never hesitated to ask difficult questions.

She loathed eugenics, human cloning and experiments on human embryos and feared assisted suicide would endanger people with disabilities.

With CS Lewis she also believed that if you are cruel to other species, it wouldn’t be long before you are cruel to human beings too. 

Her love of animals led her to accept the presidency of societies caring for donkeys and hedgehogs, and to her rescuing stray cats: Pugwash and Carruthers being two of the most notable.

One night, driving her to a meeting in the north of England, I was told to “stop the car”: She had seen a stranded hedgehog. It was rescued and taken to safety.

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She passionately opposed fox hunting – unlike some of her local party who tabled a hostile motion at an AGM.

I secured a supportive statement for her from a retired general who wrote to her party members: “I fought the Mau Mau and she’s exactly the person I would have wanted standing alongside me.” She successfully saw off the motion.

As I got to know Ann, I rapidly realised that behind the sometimes-gruff exterior was a principled, extraordinarily articulate, intelligent woman – not easily deterred. Her formidable debating skills, developed as a student in the Oxford Union, were deployed to great effect for all her causes – political, social, and charitable.

She was also intensely kind – to family, friends, and strangers. 

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In her mother’s final years, Ann brought Rita to live with her in London – telling me that, just as her mother had cared for her when she came into the world, she would care for her beloved mother as she left this world for the next. She did just that.

After one combative session on a Home Office bill, she told me, ‘you are still my favourite bleeding-heart liberal’. I took it as a compliment

As a godmother to one of my children she unfailingly always asked after him, travelling miles to be with him for his baptism and first communion.

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I saw that kindness in terrible tragedy too.

We shared Sir David Amess as a good friend. 

Following David’s appalling murder, and totally in character, Ann remained close to Julia, David’s widow, showing practical and continuing care, celebrating David’s life when we attended the unveiling of his statue in Southend. 

Ann’s convictions were underpinned by the twin pillars of her faith and patriotism, insisting that we must use our lives to the full: “We get one go this side of eternity, one go. Life is not a dress rehearsal.”

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Her faith manifested itself in her causes, through support for charities for the persecuted, the vulnerable, the poor – through the work of Right to Life, the Leprosy Mission, the St Vincent de Paul Society. It expressed itself in her devotion to Mother Teresa – whom she met at Westminster – and whom she later defended against Christopher Hitchens and in a 2016 BBC Songs of Praise programme exploring the characteristics of a saint.

In 2013, in recognition of Ann’s work, Pope Benedict named her a Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great.

Ann’s patriotism had its roots in her upbringing – partly in Singapore, where the father she adored had worked as a civil servant in the Ministry of Defence. In June, in our last conversation together – in Kennington over a favourite tandoori masala – we shared our concerns about the UK’s lack of preparedness as we face the “deadly quartet” of dictatorships threatening our freedoms.

Whether you agreed with Ann, or not, her forthright views were always trenchantly, intelligently, and honestly expressed and never with malice. In a toxic climate of inflammatory hate speech, that respect for difference must be the key to learning to live together.

Even when Ann and I were on opposite sides of political arguments, we agreed to disagree and never fell out. After one combative session on a Home Office bill, she told me, “you are still my favourite bleeding-heart liberal”. I took it as a compliment.

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In 1993 to mark her decision to become a Catholic she chose the hymns at the weekly mass in the Westminster chapel of St Mary Undercroft.

The last of those hymns was Faith of Our Fathers. Its final verse has a particularly poignant resonance:

…we will love

Both friend and foe in all our strife,

And preach thee, too, as love knows how

By kindly words and virtuous life.

Faith of our fathers! holy faith!

We will be true to thee till death!”

Ann was always true to herself.

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May she now rest in peace.

Lord Alton of Liverpool is a crossbench peer

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Above all, Ann Widdecombe was a public servant and politician of conviction and high moral principles, writes Baroness Hoey

“Well Kate, at least we are both still around!” Those were the last words spoken to me by Ann Widdecombe just a couple of weeks before her murder. We were at a reception in Westminster chatting about the ups and downs of getting older whilst also remarking on how well we both felt.

Waking up to news of her death, I remembered that night and the friendship and camaraderie we enjoyed. Also issues on which we found ourselves in profound disagreement, such as hunting, where we campaigned on opposing sides, yet without rancour. In fact the reverse; we shared for one another that respect and affection which comes from recognition of a kindred spirit even if, at times, political opponents.

When she was a Conservative member, Ann sometimes found herself out of step with many of her fellow members, and indeed with party policy, as did I in mine. In doing so, she became far more widely known and recognised – both liked and loathed – than many of her contemporaries in parliament. She dared to be a Daniel, she dared to stand alone.

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Ann could cope equally well with congratulation or confrontation, returning heckles with humour

Above all, Ann was a public servant and politician of conviction and high moral principles and of deep religious conviction guiding her every thought and action. This faith enabled her – indeed demanded of her, with true Christian love of her neighbour – to overcome the divisions that arise in public and political life between those of sincere yet differing opinions and goals. Such generosity of spirit was a far cry from the shockingly spiteful comments made by self-regarding commentators when she died. 

Two years ago, as a Reform UK party spokesperson, Ann addressed a pro-union meeting at Dromore Orange Hall in County Down. Speaking against the post-Brexit

Northern Ireland Protocol, she declared to a rousing reception from the audience: “I’m Ann Widdecombe, I’m a Roman Catholic and I’m in an Orange hall.” The audience rose to their feet as one. Earlier we had toured the Titanic exhibition and talked about her dedication to Reform UK and her respect and indeed love for Nigel Farage. 

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Ann could cope equally well with congratulation or confrontation, returning heckles with humour. She was steely yet kind, warmed by wit and a roustabout spirit. That is why so many of the public loved her and now mourn her, as will those of us privileged to have known her more closely. Our sense of loss is magnified by the terrible cruelty of her murder.

Sadly Ann is now no longer around but millions who admired her and shared her values will carry forward her battle for the nation she loved.

Baroness Hoey is a non-affiliated peer

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Ann Widdecombe and I did not always agree – but I recall fondly that we laughed a lot, writes Baroness Browning

In June 1983 Ann Widdecombe made her second unsuccessful attempt to win a seat in a general election, this time in Plymouth Devonport fighting against David Owen of the SDP Alliance.

Keen to support a woman candidate, this was where I first met Ann. As soon as the election was over Ann returned to London where her doctor confirmed that she had been campaigning while suffering from pneumonia.

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We became friends. Ann was ahead of me in the quest to become an MP. She had done battle in both Burnley and Plymouth Devonport, I was looking to fight my first seat.

There were no training courses or mentors for candidates in those days and we agreed to work together: Ann now determined to find a ‘safe’ seat and me wanting a first attempt.

We also found we had things in common. Ann was a speaker for Women for Defence. I was a speaker for Peace Through Nato. Both organisations debated with CND and others opposed to nuclear deterrence. We debated around the country and on one occasion in Ireland, at the Tipperary Peace Festival, Monsignor Bruce Kent challenged us to debate back home. We hired the Drum Theatre in Plymouth for a public debate, which we won.

There were no training courses or mentors for candidates in those days and we agreed to work together… I learned a lot from Ann

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I learned a lot from Ann who encouraged me to produce press releases and press conferences in the days before the internet.

We did not always agree; Ann held strong views on most subjects but I recall fondly that we laughed a lot. Ann had a good sense of humour. After one debate in Exeter a lady I knew from the Conservative Party asked me if we would come and give a talk in Budleigh Salterton. She said she would consult her committee. I heard nothing but seeing her some weeks later she said, “Oh my dear, I did consult the committee but I am afraid they thought you and Ann are ‘too fast’ for Budleigh Salterton.” An expression I had always considered to have certain connotations. We roared with laughter.

As we approached the 1987 election we started applying for constituencies, sometimes being interviewed for the same seat.

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All was well. Ann won her Maidstone seat in 1987 and took her seat in Parliament. I unsuccessfully fought Crewe and Nantwich, later joining Ann in Parliament in 1992 representing my home seat of Tiverton.

We served together in the John Major government as ministers and in William Hague’s shadow cabinet.

They were great times: it is how I will remember Ann.

Baroness Browning is a Conservative peer

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