What we know about the murder of UK politician Ann Widdecombe | Political Affairs

The assassination of a former British politician Ann Widdecombe has brought rumors into the country’s politics, and the matter has been sent to the anti-terrorist police.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at his home in southwest England last week from what police described as “brutal injuries”.

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On Friday, Devon and Cornwall Police arrested a 28-year-old white man on suspicion of murder. But on Monday, the person in the prison was arrested again by the anti-terrorist police, now on suspicion of being an organization, planning or initiating “terrorist” activities.

The head of the counter-terrorism police, Laurence Taylor, said on Monday that they were “following a number of lines of inquiry to determine the motive behind this attack”.

“Our priority is to move the investigation forward as quickly as possible,” Taylor said.

Here’s what we know:

Who was Ann Widdecombe?

From 1987 to 2010, Widdecombe served as Conservative MP for Maidstone and held government positions, including home secretary in 1999.

After leaving the House of Commons in 2010, Widdecombe became a TV personality, starring in Big Brother and the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing.

However, Widdecombe’s political views and anti-populist views continued throughout his retirement from politics, and by 2019 he had joined the Brexit Party to leave the European Union. He was also a member of the European Parliament from 2019 to 2020, representing the party.

In 2023, he joined the far-right Reform UK party and served as their spokesman for immigration and justice until his death.

He was known for his anti-abortion stance and equalizing the age of consent for homosexuals and same-sex couples.

What do we know about his death and the suspect?

Widdecombe was found dead at his home in Haytor, northern England, at around 11:40am (10:40 GMT) on July 9.

However, police believe he was arrested on Wednesday, about 24 hours before his body was found. They found this out after reviewing text messages between him and a Channel 5 investigator who was in contact with him about the interview Widdecombe wanted. His final response to the inquiry was sent at 12:19am (11:19 GMT) on Wednesday.

Security cameras obtained by The Sun newspaper also showed a man, later identified as the suspect, getting into his car in Yorkshire with what appeared to be a long object sticking out of his pocket. The suspect was also linked to a property in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, more than 320km (200 miles) from Widdecombe’s home.

On Friday, police issued a statement saying they had launched an investigation into the murder, but said they “did not know this was a politically motivated case” and that it was not being treated as terrorism.

As of Saturday, police said a 28-year-old British man had been arrested in South Yorkshire by anti-terrorist police and South Yorkshire Police.

Why are counter-terrorism police leading the investigation?

Currently, there is little information available on why counter-terrorism groups have taken up the issue.

On Monday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said “new information” had come to light about Mr Widdecombe’s death but said the suspect was not known to the country’s counter-terrorism programme, Prevent.

“The police warned not to focus on this case. This is for Ann’s family and friends. It is also important that the police are given the space they need to do their work. At the moment, the most important thing is to help the investigation,” said Mahmood.

“And I encourage anyone, who has any information, to come forward as soon as possible,” he added.

Why has this set off alarm bells in British political circles?

Concerns about political security have grown in recent years after two serving MPs were assassinated in the past decade.

In 2016, Labor MP Jo Cox was shot and killed by a Nazi during the Brexit campaign. In 2021, Conservative lawmaker David Amess was killed by a man inspired by ISIL (ISIS).

In his speech to the House of Commons, Mahmood referred to the killings of Cox and Amess at the time of Widdecombe’s death and said, “Politics is our calling here, but it doesn’t have to be dangerous.”

“The Home Office and the police work closely with the Parliamentary Security Department to provide practical advice and support to MPs. But we must always be alert to changing threats and responding,” he said.

“Security measures are constantly reviewed so that MPs can carry out their duties safely. And I know that the police want to issue instructions to MPs soon,” said Mahmood.

Cox’s husband, Brandon Cox, also said on X on Tuesday that the MP’s defense “needs to be fixed”.

“Given on the basis of wisdom & level of fear, not seeing politics. But adequate security will not solve the problem. We must change the culture that accepts political violence, including the algorithmic social media that drives it,” he wrote.

Also, politicians have asked to end the hate directed at them on social media.

Former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith has urged the government to take action against “violent, violent speech” on social media.