Man charged with murder of former UK minister Ann Widdecombe as police probe political motive

Discovery of the body

Ann Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in Haytor Vale, Devon, on 9 July 2026. Police said her body bore "serious injuries" and had likely lain undiscovered for about 24 hours. Authorities later stated they believed she had been attacked around midday on 8 July. Devon and Cornwall Police described the killing as a "targeted attack."

Suspect charged

On 20 July, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that Joshua Kerry, a 28-year-old white British national from Rotherham in northern England, had been charged with murder. He was initially arrested on 11 July, two days after the body was discovered, and was re-arrested on 13 July on suspicion of terrorism offences, possibly linked to left-wing extremism. However, no terrorism charge has been filed. Kerry is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Tuesday, 21 July.

Police enquiries into the defendant's motives are ongoing, including a potential political or terrorist connection.

Political and public reaction

Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who took office on Monday, had pledged last week to conduct a serious review of security for politicians in response to Widdecombe's death. He lamented the "toxicity" of political debate and said "something has changed" in British politics.

Ann Widdecombe brought conviction, wit and personality to public life over many years. I hope her killer is brought to justice as quickly as possible and faces the full force of the law.

Widdecombe's career and views

Widdecombe served as a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010, including as prisons minister under John Major from 1995 to 1997. A staunch Brexit supporter, she left the Tories in 2019 to join Nigel Farage's Brexit Party, serving as an MEP until Britain left the EU in 2020. She later became a spokesperson for Reform UK, the party's successor. She was known for socially conservative positions: she opposed abortion, same-sex marriage, and trans self-identification, and supported the reintroduction of the death penalty. She converted to Catholicism partly in protest at the Church of England's ordination of women priests. Beyond politics, she appeared on reality TV shows "Strictly Come Dancing" and "Celebrity Big Brother."

Investigation continues

The counter-terrorism unit took over the investigation days after the killing, and police have confirmed the attack was targeted. The distance between Kerry's home in Rotherham and Widdecombe's home in Devon is nearly 480 kilometres. A 26-year-old man initially arrested was quickly released and eliminated from the inquiry. Frank Ferguson, the chief prosecutor, urged the public not to publish material that could prejudice proceedings. A photograph published by British media, said to be of Kerry from 2022, shows a man with glasses, long hair and a beard holding a large jar of chocolate eggs.