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Forthright ex-MPAnn hits headlines on CBB


AS FORUMS for mature debate andintellectualdiscourse, there are fewparallels to be drawn between the House of Commons and the Celebrity Big Brother house. But aWestminster career should


have equipped Ann Widdecombe (pictured) handsomely for the latter, which the ex-MP forMaidstone and theWeald entered early in the new year. MissWiddecombe,who is now70


and lived in Sutton Valence before moving to Dartmoor, is not known for buttoning her lip and Channel 5 producers will have been aware of her forthright views. Within days she sparked a torrent


of tabloid headlines and online re- action for referring to a transgender woman housemate as “he” and de- scribed Prince Harry’s fiancée MeghanMarkle as “trouble”. On the subject of marriage, she


told a drag act on the showthat she believed it should only exist be- tween a man and a woman, not those of same sex. Since leaving pol-


Business Focus


itics, she has shown a fun side on Strictly Come Dancing where she and professional dancer Anton Du Beke came sixth, despite terrible scores fromthe judging panel. She was bound to come to blows


with some of her more progressive or liberal housemates, if her voting recordatWestminster is anything to go by.Deeply religious and conser- vative, she has supported the rein- troduction of the death penalty, supported the retention of blas- phemy laws, opposed abortion and


equal age of consent formembers of the lesbian and gay community. Before joining her housemates,


she gave no hint shewas about to be named as a contestant, writing in the Daily Express: “We shall no sooner have taken down theChrist- mas decorations than Celebrity Big Brotherwill be back. “Some of these programmes are


fun, some are tawdry, some hold genuine challenge but they are just TV programmes. They do nothing for anyone except the participants.”


News


Grant delight at CCHQ role


MAIDSTONE MP Helen Grant is back on the frontline after being appointed a vice chair of commit- tees in the Conservative Party. Mrs Grant, who was a junior


sports minister from October 2013 to May 2015 under David Cameron, has been handed the role in the Conservative Central Head- quarters (CCHQ) team, which helps to run the party. PrimeMinister TheresaMay has


begun 2018 with the cabinet reshuffle, and Mrs Grant – MP for Maidstone and The Weald – was pictured outside 10 Downing Street with the PM and other new CCHQ teammembers. Mrs Grant said: “I am delighted


and honoured to have been ap- pointed as one of my party’s vice chairs. I amworkingwith our new party chairman and CCHQ to fi- nalise my full brief for this impor- tant newposition. “My specific rolewill be to reach


out to all of our country’s commu- nities, to ensure that their voices are heard, thatwe engage, and that we develop their trust and confi- dence to deliver the PM’s vision of a country that ‘works for every- one’.”


Business Focus downsmail.co.uk A personal service at a time of loss


Michael Lawrence, and his son Robert along with Kim and Angela, are the team behind a family-owned funeral service that has been helping families across the Maidstone area for 40 years.


With offices in Bearsted and Barming, Family Funeral Service is a third generation business, experienced in caring for your needs with commitment and understanding.


At such a stressful time, they know it’s important to sit and talk to you about every detail and to assist you in making the often


4 Cavendish Way, Ashford Road, Bearsted, Maidstone ME15 8PW


01622 260200


difficult decisions about how best to remember a loved one and to meet their personal wishes. With so many years’ experience, Family


Funeral Service has learned how to respond to the specific and different needs of every individual facing one of the toughest times in their life. This personalised approach includes the option of home visits and access to a friendly voice at the end of the phone around the clock, as well as personal support to clients through the bereavement process.


Michael Lawrence said: "The loss of a loved


one is never easy to cope with, and the added stress of making arrangements for the service can often bring further emotional upset. With our experience of making funeral arrangements we have learned how to help families have and be part of a unique and meaningful service that


Find us at:


59 High Street, Headcorn TN27 9QA


01622 962001 Maidstone February 2018 27


celebrates life. "Our approach is simple. We sit with you in our


office or your home, taking you slowly and methodically through the various decisions that you will face and the options available to you. Sometimes, it’s just good to sit and talk, and to learn about the services and venues available from someone with experience and compassion before making a decision.”


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