British police continued Sunday to investigate the motive behind the killing of former government minister Ann Widdecombe, a prominent figure on the political right whose body was found in her home where she had been struck with a blunt object.
Police said Saturday that they had arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of murder. On Sunday, investigators said they had found no evidence suggesting the killing was politically motivated or an act of terrorism. The suspect is a white British man, and investigators believe Widdecombe was killed during an attempted robbery that went wrong.
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Ann Widdecombe; she gave an interview at 8 a.m., less than five hours before she was killed
(Photo: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Widdecombe, who was 78, was a former member of the Conservative Party and served as a junior minister in Prime Minister John Major’s government from 1992 to 1997. More recently, she served as the immigration and justice spokeswoman for Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK party, which has been rising in the polls, partly at the expense of the Conservative Party she once called home.
Police believe Widdecombe was killed around midday Wednesday, but her body was not found until the following day, when her caregiver entered the house and discovered her with severe injuries.
Widdecombe’s home in Haytor; investigators believe the killer may have been caught on camera
(Photo: Jack Taylor/Reuters)
Forensic officers collect evidence at the scene; efforts to contact her continued into the night
( Photo: Jack Taylor/Reuters)
On the morning of her death, at about 8 a.m., she gave an interview from her isolated home in Haytor, a village of about 200 residents in Devon, to TalkTV. She was scheduled to appear on a British Channel 5 program at 1 p.m. but failed to join the broadcast.
During the program, she was expected to answer questions about Farage’s decision to call a new election for his parliamentary seat and allegations that he had accepted improper donations.
According to Britain’s Sun newspaper, Widdecombe sent a message to a member of the program’s staff at 12:19 p.m. Wednesday. About half an hour later, at 12:48 p.m., she was sent a Zoom link but did not respond.
At 12:55 p.m., a staff member wrote to her, “Hi Ann, is everything OK?” Again, there was no reply. The studio team made several more attempts to contact her, including that night and the following morning, without success.
Channel 5 confirmed, according to the Sun, that staff then contacted her agent, who was asked to check on her. At about 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Widdecombe’s caregiver found her body in the kitchen and called emergency services.
Investigators determined that she had been struck in the head with a blunt object and had suffered severe traumatic injuries. Police believe her killer may have been captured by security cameras at the house.
One suspect was released and another arrested; police near Widdecombe’s home
(Photo: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)
A first suspect, a 26-year-old man, was arrested Friday in Newton Abbot, about 18 kilometers, or 11 miles, from the scene. He was later cleared of suspicion and released.
The new suspect, a 28-year-old man, was arrested Saturday in South Yorkshire, more than 320 kilometers, or 200 miles, from the scene. Police now believe they have arrested the person responsible for the killing.
Widdecombe was known for her socially conservative views. She converted to Catholicism, partly in protest against the ordination of women as priests in the Church of England. She opposed abortion and the equalization of the age of consent for same-sex and heterosexual relations. She also defended the practice of shackling pregnant prisoners during childbirth to prevent them from escaping and described single mothers as a negative role model. However, she stood apart from many Conservative lawmakers in opposing fox hunting with dogs.
The former minister campaigns for the Brexit Party, the predecessor of Reform UK, in 2019
(Photo: Yara Nardi/Reuters)
Widdecombe with Nigel Farage in 2019; she had been scheduled to appear on air to defend him
(Photo: Toby Melville/Reuters)
Reports of her death Friday prompted tributes from across Britain’s political spectrum, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Farage, who described her as “an extraordinary woman.” Farage said in a video posted on X that Widdecombe had fought firmly for her beliefs and was a devout Christian with strongly conservative social views.
Britain has faced two killings of serving members of Parliament over the past decade. Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death in 2016 by a loner obsessed with Nazism during the Brexit referendum campaign. Conservative lawmaker David Amess was stabbed to death in 2021 by a man inspired by the Islamic State group.