John Kampfner: Ann Widdecombe an unlikely trump card

Such was the impact Miss Widdecombe made during her conference address that party activists gave her unstinting applause and a three minute standing ovation - twice the length of that received by Tory leader William Hague.

And what's more, in a week when the shadow cabinet has been in the headlines for being somewhat less recognisable than a set of chairs from IKEA, Miss Widdecombe is one of the few members of Mr Hague's team that the public can actually identify.

Taking on Labour

But what the Tory faithful really love her for is her undisputed ability to bash the government.

Appointed to the shadow cabinet - to get stuck in to Labour

On Tuesday, she savaged Health Secretary Frank Dobson. Shunning the aid of lectern and autocue and striding around the conference stage without notes, she took Mr Dobson to task over Labour's less then speedy action on hospital waiting lists, saying:

"Any businessman who achieved a goal four years too late and four times over budget get would be given his P45. Well, the electorate will give him his P45 at the next election".

And for a moment, to those gathered in the hall, Miss Widdecombe held out the vision of what Tory delegates really want the leadership to deliver - victory at the next general election.

But as well as loving her for her ability to boost morale and her vigour in attack, Tories also love her because she is a conviction politician.

Like they did with Margaret Thatcher, Tories know where they are with Ann Widdecombe.

'Something of the night'

Miss Widdecombe does not mince her words. One famous example being her remarks on her former boss Michael Howard whom she served under at the Home Office.

Stopped in his tracks

She stopped Mr Howard's bid for the Tory leadership in 1997 with half a sentence. Mr Howard, she said, "has something of the night" about him.

It was while at the Home Office as prisons minister that she first came to the public's attention for defending the controversial policy of handcuffing female prisoners to their beds while they gave birth.

Miss Widdecombe's demolition job on Mr Howard did not help her personal career as Mr Hague, on becoming Tory leader, left her out of his shadow team - a team including Mr Howard as shadow foreign secretary.

However, her performances on the backbenches - particularly her savaging of the anti-hunting bill - led to a rethink and her promotion in June 1998 with the brief of attacking Mr Dobson head-on.

Political faith

As one may expect, the fervour and certainty with which Ann Widdecombe holds her views is partially the result of strong religious convictions.

Miss Widdecombe is a Catholic. She ditched the Church of England over its decision to ordain women priests saying: "To have a church which calls a sin a sin and has done with it is a blessed relief."

Her beliefs could eventually damage her political career as she has said that she could not be health secretary if the Tories are returned to government because of her anti-abortion views.

And Miss Widdecombe, who prays several times a day, is in constant touch with God: whenever she needs advice she goes straight to the top.