Former UK Conservative cabinet minister and Reform UK spokesperson Ann Widdecombe was found dead with serious injuries at her Dartmoor residence in Devon on the 9th. Police have ruled out terrorism or political motives and are treating the case as a murder investigation. On the 10th, a 26-year-old suspect was arrested.
At around 11:40 a.m. local time on the 9th, police responded to a call at a detached house in Dartmoor and discovered that 78-year-old Widdecombe had died from severe injuries. Counter-terrorism officers were involved in the initial investigation but believe it is not a terrorist incident, and police say there is no information to suggest the crime was politically motivated.
Police revealed that the arrested man is a white British citizen, who was apprehended in Newton Abbot, Devon.
Widdecombe’s political career spanned several decades, having served as a Member of Parliament for 23 years. She held junior ministerial posts at the Department of Employment and the Home Office, and was responsible for prison affairs in the Major government. A staunch Brexiteer, she later joined the Brexit Party and was elected as a Member of the European Parliament. In 2023, she joined Reform UK. She remained active in the media during her lifetime, appearing on TalkTV just a day before her death.