Former politician Ann Widdecombe killed in ‘targeted attack’: UK Police – National
Former politician and TV contestant Ann Widdecombe was killed in a “targeted attack,” although the motive is still being investigated, Britain’s counter-terrorism police said Tuesday.
A 28-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder and terrorism charges remains in custody on a long-term detention warrant under the Terrorism Act which allows police to investigate him for up to one week.
“It is clear that this was a targeted attack,” Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing told reporters. “We are still working to understand the extent of any planning or preparation, and the motivation behind the attack.”
The death of Widdecombe, 78, a former member of Parliament, shocked Britain’s political establishment, where he had become famous for his outspoken views against abortion and the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights.
Anti-terrorist police took over the investigation on Monday after new evidence came to light. Police in Devon and Cornwall were initially criticized as their killings were not believed to be terrorism-related crimes and there was no indication that they were politically motivated.
Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez defended her organization on Tuesday, saying new information often changes the nature of rapid investigations.
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Police believe Widdecombe was attacked in the early hours of Wednesday. He did not appear for a scheduled TV interview an hour later and was found dead the next day at his secluded home in a village in southwest England.
The police did not reveal the cause of his death, saying he was seriously injured. Taylor called it a “brutal attack on a 78-year-old woman in her own home.”
The suspect was arrested on Saturday in South Yorkshire County in the north of England, more than 320 kilometers from the village of Haytor on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, where Widdecombe died.
Police searched his home extensively and Taylor said they found evidence of a plot, but declined to provide details.
The suspect was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of murder, but some evidence found during his arrest led the police to arrest him again on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of terrorist acts.
The suspect has not been named because he has not been charged.
Widdecombe was in the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010, serving in roles including prisons minister in Prime Minister John Major’s 1990s Conservative government.
He gained fame after leaving Parliament as a contestant on the television shows “Strictly Come Dancing” and “Celebrity Big Brother.”
He later joined the Brexit Party, serving briefly as a member of the European Parliament before Britain left the European Union in 2020. Recently, he joined the anti-immigration group UK Reform, often appearing in the media as a spokesperson.
The killings have renewed political concerns about security, which intensified a decade ago after the killing of two members of Parliament. Labor MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by extremists, and Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group.
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