Ed Balls was left feeling upset following comments on Good Morning Britain, amid updates on Ann Widdecombe's death.09:29, 13 Jul 2026Updated 10:02, 13 Jul 2026A former MP has made an “upsetting” admission on Good Morning Britain amid the investigation into Ann Widdecombe’s death.‌It was announced on Friday, July 10, that the former Conservative minister turned Reform UK spokeswoman had died aged 78.‌At the time, a statement from her agents paying tribute did not share a cause of death, and just hours later, police began investigating her alleged murder.‌It was revealed that Widdecombe had been found dead on Thursday at her home, having sustained serious injuries.The police have arrested a 28-year-old white British man in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, and have said there is “nothing to suggest it was politically motivated”.‌Amid the ongoing updates from the investigation, Good Morning Britain hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls welcomed Nadine Dorries to the programme.Nadine shared her reaction to the news of Ann’s investigation after Susanna commented on how “chilling” it was to think about.“I was in a state of shock,” Nadine admitted. “Those of us who knew her and worked with her, I worked with Ann from 2005, not much in recent years, but certainly closely back then, and the state of shock is the only way I can describe it.‌“It took a while to come back from that. I think it was only yesterday afternoon that I began to feel remotely normal again, so it was surreal.”Nadine also addressed a rise in attacks on politicians and public figures, saying: “With regard to Ann in particular, she was a high-profile politician, public figure, both apply to Ann.”‌Susanna pointed out Nadine’s “chilling” comments in her Mail on Sunday column, in which the politician said she felt as though she needed to move because she felt “nervous and worried”.Nadine replied: “I became an MP first in 2005; the internet wasn’t such a huge thing, nor was social media.“It wasn’t as bad back in 2005-10, we used to get a lot of letters, but once social media became a thing, then death threats and some quite chilling… I had somebody who came and taped a camera to a lamppost outside my house, and the police at the time did nothing because his defence was that he was holding his MP to account.‌“At the time that he was taping the camera to the lamppost, only my young daughter, who was 13 at the time, was inside the house.“I think the issue is, the issue between being an MP, being held to account, being accountable in what is a democratic society, and what is accepted as a requirement to keep MPs safe.‌“I think there’s always been this argument that MPs should be accessible to the public, people should be able to speak to their MPs and hold their MPs to account, and I think that’s what needs to be questioned now.”Noting the harrowing deaths of Jo Cox and David Amess, Nadine urged: “Attacks on MPs are now becoming part of a recurring pattern, and that’s what we have to stop.”She added: “Maybe we do need to have higher levels of security and protection in place for MPs because I don’t know how many murders need to take place, or how many attacks, before we get to the position where that becomes the norm, that MPs have the protection and don’t need to be subjected to attacks and potentially losing their lives.”‌As the discussion continued, Nadine shared that she wouldn’t want her daughters to follow in her footsteps, for fear of their safety.Asked about advice she would give to a young person thinking about going into politics, Nadine said: “I can only answer this honestly, Ed, I’ve got three daughters, young adult women, and if any one of them said they wanted to be an MP, I would be worried. I wouldn’t want them to do it.‌“It’s not advice I would give to anybody today because it’s a very different world from when you and I became MPs; today it’s very different.”She said the world of politics is “aggressive out there” and “potentially dangerous,” and that she wouldn’t want her young daughters involved.Ed replied: “I find that answer really upsetting and very worrying, and I also totally respect it and as a dad of similar aged kids, I empathise with it.”‌Susanna also later in the show admitted that Nadine’s comments had, for the first time, left her worrying about her own child’s future, after one of her sons showed an interest in politics.“This morning is the first time I’ve thought to myself I’m not sure I’d support that,” she said.‌She had earlier shared on the programme, following Nadine’s comments: “Of course we hold politicians to account, but we can’t allow politicians to feel intimidated, threatened, at risk, we can’t be putting people off.“But the reality is, if you think your life is at risk in public life, why would you go into it?”Ed added: “Our democracy will crumble if young people don’t feel that’s a path they can take.”Article continues belowGood Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX.