The former British minister Ann Widdecombe was killed in what police have described as a "targeted attack", counter-terrorism officers said, as they continued to investigate the death of one of the country's best-known public figures.
Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in Haytor, on Dartmoor in rural Devon, last week. A 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of her murder and was later further arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences. He has not been publicly named, and no charges have been announced.
What police have said
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing, said investigators were clear about the nature of the attack even as they worked to establish why it happened. "It is clear that this was a targeted attack," he told reporters. "We are still working to understand the extent of any planning or preparation and the motivation that sits behind that attack."
Police said the suspect had not previously come to the attention of Prevent, Britain's counter-radicalisation programme, and that counter-terrorism officers had taken over the inquiry after new information emerged. Authorities said there was no wider threat to the public and urged people not to speculate about the circumstances on social media. A senior detective leading the murder investigation said it was "in its early stages but moving at a significant pace".
A long career in politics
Widdecombe served as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Maidstone, in Kent, from 1987 to 2010. She held ministerial roles at the Home Office under Prime Minister John Major in the 1990s and became a shadow home secretary, building a reputation as one of the most outspoken social conservatives of her generation on issues such as abortion.
After leaving Parliament she remained active in public life. She joined the Brexit Party in 2019 and sat as a member of the European Parliament, and more recently served as a spokesperson for Reform UK, the party led by Nigel Farage, a role she held until her death.
A public figure beyond Westminster
Widdecombe was also widely recognised outside politics. After stepping down as an MP she appeared on the BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing" and on "Celebrity Big Brother", turning a career in frontline politics into a second life as a television personality known to audiences with little interest in Westminster.
Tributes and reaction have focused on the shock of a violent death of a prominent former politician. Police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward as the investigation continues.
