The Wisdom of Ann Widdecombe.

Many of the tributes offered to Ann Widdecombe, the former MP who was murdered last week, made a point of contrasting her likeable personality with her allegedly regrettable views.

As if social conservatism and affability were mutually exclusive. Yet here’s the thing. While she wasn’t always right (who is?) Ann Widdecombe’s objections to many of the reforms of the last half century have turned out to be remarkably prescient.

Above all Widdecombe identified problems with the Gender Recognition Act the mushy political uni-party refused to acknowledge. And still does.

So let’s pay Widdecombe the respect she was too infrequently afforded in her lifetime and treat her political views seriously. Her interventions during one of the most contested debates of the Blair era turn out to have been rare pearls of wisdom.