British police make a new breakthrough in the murder investigation of Ann Widdecombe Political Affairs

Police have arrested a 28-year-old man in South Yorkshire over the murder of former MP Ann Widdecombe.

British police have arrested a 28-year-old man in connection with the murder of a former politician and TV contestant Ann Widdecombe.

Devon and Cornwall Police said late on Saturday that the suspect had been arrested in South Yorkshire County in northern England, about 320km (200 miles) from his hometown of Haytor, in the southwest, where Widdecombe was found dead on Thursday.

Earlier, the police released a 26-year-old man He was arrested on Friday a few kilometers from the site about the attack, saying that it is not being investigated anymore. Police say detectives are working “quickly” to find the killer, and do not believe there is a risk to the public.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at his country house in Haytor on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. Police did not say what caused his death, but said he was “severely injured”.

Police say they believe Widdecombe was attacked at around 12.30pm on Wednesday. Concerns grew after he failed to appear for a TV interview on Wednesday afternoon.

They said anti-terrorist police assisted local police in making the arrests on Saturday, but “there is no indication that this is a terrorist-related incident”.

Security has been tightened for politicians after the assassination of two members of Parliament in the past decade. Labor lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by right-wing extremists, and Conservative David Amess was killed in 2021 by an assailant inspired by the ISIL (ISIS) group.

Nigel Farage, leader of Widdecombe’s Reform UK party, said staff had searched party emails for abuse, but found nothing.

Speaking after leaving a bouquet of flowers outside Widdecombe’s home, Farage said “we can’t identify, from our data, any person” who appears to be targeting him.

The death rocked British politics, with Widdecombe becoming a household name over the years, known for his strong personality and opposition to abortion and expanding LGBTQ rights.

He was a lawmaker in the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010, serving as minister for prisons in the Conservative government of Prime Minister John Major in the 1990s.

Widdecombe rose to prominence after leaving Parliament as a contestant on television’s Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.

He later joined the Brexit movement, serving briefly as a member of the European Parliament before the United Kingdom left the European Union in 2020. More recently, he joined the anti-immigration Reform UK organization, often appearing in the press as a spokesperson.

His friends and colleagues differed in his political views and his kindness and sense of humor.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called his death “a very shocking news”, and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said he had “had a hard time finding the words to say”.

“It was horrible, horrible and my heart breaks for his family,” Badenoch said.