British counterterrorism police have taken over the investigation into the killing of former government minister and prominent conservative figure Ann Widdecombe after new evidence raised suspicions that the attack may have involved terrorism.
Police said Monday that a 28-year-old British man arrested on suspicion of murdering Widdecombe was rearrested over alleged offenses involving the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
Gallery
Former government minister and prominent conservative figure Ann Widdecombe
(Photo: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
The development marked a dramatic turn in the investigation. Police had previously said there was no evidence that the killing was politically motivated.
“We now have new information and evidence which means Counter Terrorism Policing is leading the investigation,” said Laurence Taylor, head of the unit. “We are pursuing several lines of inquiry to establish the motive for this attack.”
Widdecombe, 78, was a former Conservative Party politician who served as a junior minister in John Major’s government between 1992 and 1997.
More recently, she served as the immigration and justice spokeswoman for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, which has risen sharply in opinion polls, partly at the expense of the Conservatives.
Though she had been out of Parliament for years, Widdecombe remained a prominent voice on the British right and became widely known through appearances on reality television programs, including Celebrity Big Brother.
The suspect was filmed entering a car 430 kilometers from the scene, about five hours before the murder
(Photo: The Sun)
Police believe she was killed at around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at her isolated home in Haytor, a village of about 200 residents in Devon.
Her body was found the following morning by her caregiver, who entered the house and discovered that she had suffered severe injuries.
Investigators determined that Widdecombe had been struck in the head with a blunt object and sustained serious trauma. Police believe the attacker may have been captured by security cameras at the property.
Final messages before her death
Widdecombe had given an interview from her home to TalkTV at around 8 a.m. on the morning she was killed.
She was due to appear on a British Channel 5 program at 1 p.m. but failed to join the broadcast.
According to The Sun, Widdecombe sent a message to a member of the production team at 12:19 p.m. About half an hour later, at 12:48 p.m., she was sent a Zoom link but did not respond.
Widdecombe’s home in Haytor, where ‘new information’ has raised suspicions of terrorism
(Photo: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)
At 12:55 p.m., a member of the team wrote: “Hi Ann, is everything OK?” Again, there was no reply.
The production team made several further attempts to contact her that night and the following morning.
Channel 5 confirmed, according to The Sun, that staff then contacted Widdecombe’s agent, who was asked to check on her.
At about 11:30 a.m. Thursday, her caregiver found her body in the kitchen and alerted emergency services.
The program Widdecombe was scheduled to join was expected to question her about Farage’s decision to seek a fresh election for his parliamentary seat and allegations that he had received improper donations.
The suspect traveled 430 kilometers
A first suspect, a 26-year-old man, was arrested Friday in Newton Abbot, about 18 kilometers from the scene. He was later cleared and released.
The 28-year-old suspect now being investigated for possible terrorism offenses was arrested Saturday in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, about 430 kilometers from Widdecombe’s home.
Forensic investigators at the house, where her caregiver found her body
(Photo: REUTERS/Jack Taylor)
Investigators suspect he traveled the roughly four-and-a-half-hour route to carry out the killing.
Footage published by The Sun showed the suspect, wearing a white T-shirt and white shorts, entering a vehicle outside a house in Rotherham.
A long object protruding from his pocket was described by the newspaper as a wooden club.
The footage was recorded at 7:51 a.m., slightly more than four and a half hours before the estimated time of Widdecombe’s killing.
Prominent social conservative
Widdecombe was known for strongly conservative social positions.
She converted to Catholicism, partly in protest against the ordination of women as priests in the Church of England.
She opposed abortion and objected to equalizing the age of consent for same-sex and heterosexual relations.
Flowers in Widdecombe’s memory in her home village of Haytor. She was a prominent voice on the conservative right
(Photo: REUTERS/Jack Taylor)
She also defended the policy of restraining pregnant prisoners during childbirth to prevent escape and described single motherhood as a negative social model.
However, she broke with many fellow conservatives in opposing fox hunting with hounds.
News of her death became public only Friday, prompting tributes from across Britain’s political spectrum.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer was among those who paid tribute, while Farage described her as “an extraordinary woman.”
“She stood up and fought for what she believed in, a devout Christian and someone with strong socially conservative views,” Farage said in a video posted on X.
Nigel Farage lays flowers near Widdecombe’s home over the weekend
(Photo: REUTERS/Jack Taylor)
Britain has experienced two killings of serving lawmakers over the past decade.
Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death by a man obsessed with Nazism during the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign.
Conservative lawmaker David Amess was stabbed to death in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State terrorist organization.
Alleged plot against Muslim gathering
In a separate development Monday, British police said they had arrested 12 people suspected of planning an attack against a large Muslim gathering at a castle in Suffolk, eastern England.
Police described the suspects, aged 27 to 60, as far-right extremists and said they were being investigated for terrorism offenses.
Eight remained in custody after questioning.
The arrests were carried out in several parts of England after police received intelligence concerning what they described as a “potentially serious threat” to the event.
The castle where the Islamic ‘festival’ was reportedly held
(Photo: John Fielding / Wikipedia)
The gathering, called UK Ijtema, began Thursday and had been due to continue through Monday. It was cut short and ended on Sunday because of the threat.
About 15,000 people reportedly attended.
The word ijtema means assembly or gathering in Arabic and is commonly used in the Muslim world for religious events devoted to prayer and spiritual renewal.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who is Muslim, said the suspected plot would cause deep concern within Britain’s Muslim community.
“We must stand against hatred and unite around our shared belief in a country that is open, generous and tolerant toward all its communities,” she said.
Britain raised its national terrorism threat level in April to “severe,” meaning an attack is considered highly likely.
Counterterrorism officials said the alleged plot against the gathering was a grim reminder that the threat remained elevated.