Counter-terrorism police lead Widdecombe murder probe after new evidence; suspect re-arrested

The attack

Ann Widdecombe was found dead at her home in Haytor Vale, a village inside Dartmoor National Park in Devon, on the morning of 9 July. Police believe she was attacked roughly 24 hours earlier. The 78-year-old had appeared on TalkTV from the property shortly after 8 a.m. on 8 July and was due to join a Channel 5 programme via Zoom at 1 p.m. that same day, but she never dialled in and did not answer subsequent calls. Her body was discovered around 11:40 a.m. on 9 July with severe head injuries. The house had been her residence since 2008.

Investigation turns

Devon & Cornwall Police initially stated there was no information suggesting a terrorist link. Deputy chief constable Matt Longman told reporters on 10 July that the force did not believe the killing was politically motivated. That assessment unravelled over the weekend. On 13 July, the head of UK counter-terrorism policing, Laurence Taylor, announced his unit was taking charge after "new information and new evidence" emerged.

We are pursuing multiple lines of investigation to determine the motive for this attack.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed the shift in the House of Commons, calling the murder "a black day" for British political life. She disclosed that the suspect held in custody was not on the government's Prevent programme, which monitors people at risk of radicalisation.

Arrests

A 26-year-old man was taken into custody in Newton Abbot, 18 km from Widdecombe's home, on 10 July but was released on 11 July and is no longer part of the inquiry. On 11 July, officers arrested a 28-year-old white British man at a property in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, more than 400 km from Haytor Vale. He was initially held on suspicion of murder. On 13 July, following the counter-terrorism unit's intervention, he was re-arrested on suspicion of committing, preparing or instigating acts of terrorism. Police had stated on 12 July that they were not looking for anyone else.

The tabloid The Sun published a CCTV image showing the suspect getting into a red car in South Yorkshire on 8 July with a long object protruding from his trouser pocket. Authorities have appealed for information from the public.

Political reaction

Reform UK, the right-wing party where Widdecombe served as immigration and justice spokesperson, has come under scrutiny for its response. Party leader Nigel Farage described the killing as "premeditated" and staged a televised floral tribute outside Widdecombe's home, drawing accusations of turning the death into a political event. Deputy leader Richard Tice argued the party had repeatedly requested increased protection for its MPs and been ignored by police, government and parliamentary authorities.

I recognise the particular concern that the Reform Party will be feeling today.

Mahmood offered Farage a meeting with the director of RAVEC, the independent body that manages security for public figures. Farage has long claimed he is the most threatened and attacked politician in the UK. During his 2024 campaign for a parliamentary seat, a milkshake and a coffee cup were thrown at him.

A divisive figure

Widdecombe was a Conservative MP for 23 years and held three senior ministerial posts under John Major: Prisons, Employment and Home Office, between 1994 and 1997. A staunch social conservative who converted from Anglicanism to Catholicism, she built a reputation on hardline stances on immigration, justice and traditional values. In 2019 she quit the Conservatives to join Farage's Brexit Party and later Reform UK. Beyond politics, she was a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing.

If the terrorism classification is confirmed, Widdecombe's killing would be the third ideological murder of a British politician within a decade. Labour MP Jo Cox was stabbed to death by a far-right extremist on 16 June 2016, one week before the EU referendum. Conservative MP David Amess was killed by a supporter of the Islamic State group on 15 October 2021. Reform UK, Labour and the Conservatives are now the country's three largest political forces.