Authorities arrested a man on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe, Police in southwest England announced on FridayHours after news broke that a once prominent politician had been found dead.
A Conservative government minister in the 1990s who was known for her sharp tongue, Widdecombe later in her political career became an ally of right-wing populist Nigel Farage.
What did the police say on the matter?
Police initially did not say anything about a possible motive or background in the case.
Detective Chief Inspector Ilona Rawson said: “Our murder investigation is still in its early stages but is progressing rapidly. “We are deploying all necessary resources to determine exactly what happened and to locate the individual responsible who we believe to be a white male.”
But soon after their initial announcement, police said a white male, a 26-year-old British citizen, had been arrested and was in custody.
Matt Longman of Devon and Cornwall Police said that, at least based on initial inquiries, the incident “is not being treated as terrorism” or politically motivated.
Police said they were called to the Widdecombe address in Dartmoor, Devon, around Thursday afternoon, where he was found dead “due to serious injuries”.
Rawson appealed for anyone with information to come forward, no matter “no matter how insignificant” it may seem.
“We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in Haytor Vale, Haytor’s surroundings, or anyone with CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage that can assist our investigation,” Rawson said.
How did Prime Minister Keir Starmer respond?
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed condolences to Widdecombe’s family and friends amid “truly shocking news”, praising Widdecombe as a “distinguished” politician.
“I think it’s really important that this is a moment where we rise above any political differences, political divisions,” Starmer said shortly before the news of the suspect’s arrest. He said the priority was to identify and secure the man who was “clearly dangerous”.
Starmer said she had spoken to the Speaker of Parliament, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, Reform UK’s Nigel Farage and her successor Andy Burnham, “to urge everyone to come together at a moment like this and help police the police.”
Who was Ann Widdecombe?
Widdecombe, 78, was a former government minister and Conservative member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010, who held ministerial positions in John Major’s UK government in the 1990s.
Widdecombe served as Prisons Minister after working in junior positions in the Department of Employment and Social Security.
After Labor came to power in 1997, she was a senior shadow minister in opposition, first as Shadow Health Secretary and then Shadow Home Secretary. She sought the party leadership in 2001, but could not muster enough support among fellow MPs to launch a bid.
She retired from politics at the 2010 general election, but returned to the front lines amid the 2016 Brexit referendum.
A prominent supporter of Brexit, in later life she became closely associated with Nigel Farage, first joining the now-defunct Brexit Party and later moving to Farage’s latest party, Reform UK. She served as the immigration and justice spokesperson for the right-wing populist party.
Widdecombe also appeared on reality TV as a contestant on the show “Strictly Come Dancing” in its heyday in the 2010s, and later finished as runner-up on the 21st series of “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2018.
A later convert to Catholicism – who described the Anglican Church’s decision to ordain female priests as “the last straw” – Widdecombe was known for her traditional views on a variety of issues such as law and order, immigration, climate change and sexuality.
Edited by: Natalie Muller
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