​Sarah Mason, the deputy mayor of Reform-led Scarborough Town Council, has paid tribute to Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman who was found dead on Thursday 9 July at her home in Haytor, Devon, having sustained serious injuries. ​Chairing the meeting of the authority on Tuesday, July 28, Cllr Mason opened the meeting “in remembrance of Ann Widdecombe” and encouraged councillors to “take a moment to acknowledge her passing”. ​The town mayor, Cllr Thomas Murray, was not able to attend the meeting due to a clashing work commitment. ​Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Mason said: “She was a woman whose political courage, conviction and integrity were unmistakable throughout her life – Ann was a fearless figure in British politics. Ann Widdecombe will be remembered as a woman who never shied away from speaking her mind, and who defended the right of others to do the same.