British investigators are increasingly examining a possible political motive in the killing of former minister Ann Widdecombe after newspaper clippings about Nigel Farage and Reform UK were reportedly found displayed on the walls of the suspect’s home.
British media reported that the clippings focused on Reform UK, the right-wing party Widdecombe had represented in recent years, and on Farage personally.
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Murder suspect Joshua Kerry and the late Widdecombe. ‘He became increasingly withdrawn after his father’s death’
(Photo: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
A source told The Sun that the material included articles about the party’s hard-line immigration policies and suggested that the suspect appeared to harbor a “deep dislike” of the party, its leader and its platform.
The discovery is expected to intensify suspicions that Widdecombe’s killing was politically motivated, contrary to the initial police assessment that it may have been a robbery that went wrong.
Joshua Kerry, 28, has been formally charged with Widdecombe’s murder.
Widdecombe, who was 78, was a former Conservative politician and served as a junior minister in the government of Prime Minister John Major from 1992 to 1997.
In recent years, she had become Reform UK’s spokeswoman on immigration and justice. Though she had long been out of Parliament, she remained a prominent voice on the British right and was also known for appearances on television reality programs, including Celebrity Big Brother.
Police believe Widdecombe was killed at around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, at her secluded home in Haytor, a Devon village of roughly 200 residents.
Her body was not found until the following morning, when her caregiver entered the house and discovered her in the kitchen with severe injuries.
Investigators determined that she had been struck in the head with a blunt object and suffered extensive trauma.
Security camera footage of Kerry on the day of the murder
(Photo: The Sun)
Earlier that morning, at about 8 a.m., Widdecombe had given an interview from her home to TalkTV. She was scheduled to appear on Britain’s Channel 5 at 1 p.m. but failed to join the program.
At 12:19 p.m., she sent a message to a member of the production team. About half an hour later, at 12:48 p.m., a Zoom link was sent to her, but she did not respond.
At 12:55 p.m., a production staff member messaged her: “Hi Ann, is everything all right?”
Again, there was no answer.
The studio made several more attempts to contact her that evening and the following morning. Staff then contacted her agent, who was asked to check on her.
At around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Widdecombe’s caregiver found her body and called emergency services.
Investigation shifts toward terrorism
Kerry, a 28-year-old white man, was arrested three days after the killing in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, roughly 430 kilometers from the crime scene.
Investigators suspect that he drove approximately four and a half hours specifically to kill Widdecombe.
His arrest caused a dramatic shift in the investigation.
In the first days after the killing, police officials said that while Widdecombe’s political affiliation was known, there was no clear motive and the death was likely the result of a burglary gone wrong.
After Kerry’s arrest, police reversed course, announcing that counterterrorism officers were involved and describing the killing as a planned “targeted attack.”
Investigators have also not ruled out the possibility that other right-wing figures may have been considered potential targets.
The change prompted criticism from Reform UK figures, some of whom accused the police of misleading the public about the circumstances of Widdecombe’s death.
Gavin Towler, a member of the party’s leadership, said police would previously have declared that all lines of inquiry remained open.
“This time they tried to close down lines of inquiry,” he said. “At a time when trust in the police is at an all-time low, it only reinforces the feeling that they are trying to manipulate public opinion.”
Clippings on Farage and immigration policy
British reports said newspaper clippings about Reform UK and Farage were found hanging inside Kerry’s home.
The discovery is believed to have influenced the decision to transfer the investigation to counterterrorism officers.
A source told The Sun that some of the clippings focused on Reform UK’s immigration policy, a defining issue for the party.
“He appeared to have a deep dislike of the party, its leader and its policies,” the source said.
Kerry has two brothers and reportedly became increasingly withdrawn after his father died last year.
Neighbors described him as quiet and shy and said he sometimes took out their garbage bins.
One resident said Kerry used to drive his father to the shops while he was ill. After his father’s death, Kerry reportedly stopped working.
British prosecutors announced Monday evening that Kerry had been formally charged with murder.
Britain’s history of political killings
Britain has faced two other 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 terrorist group.
Widdecombe was no longer serving in Parliament, but she remained one of the country’s best-known conservative figures and a vocal representative of Reform UK as the party rose in national polling.
The discovery of Farage and Reform UK material in the suspect’s home now leaves investigators examining whether her public role, particularly her advocacy for restrictive immigration policies, made her a deliberate political target.