Anti-terror police take over probe into death of UK politician Widdecombe

A 28-year-old man has been rearrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Counterterrorism police have taken over the investigation into the murder of the veteran British populist politician Ann Widdecombe.

The announcement of the switch was made on Monday, with police saying it follows “new information and evidence”.

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That represents a swift reversal. Devon and Cornwall Police said last week that there was no evidence to suggest that her death was terror-related or politically motivated. Widdecombe was a former member of parliament and government minister for the Conservative Party who then defected to the far-right Reform Party.

A 28-year-old white British man has been rearrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, police said. The same man had previously been arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday.

“We now have new information and evidence that means Counter Terrorism Policing is now leading the investigation,” head of National Counterterrorism Policing, Laurence Taylor, said. “We are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for this attack.”

The killing of the 78-year-old has shocked British politics and renewed concerns about the safety of elected officials. Two other British MPs have been killed over the past decade.

A divisive figure due to her socially conservative views, including opposing abortion and reinstating the death penalty, Widdecombe first came to national attention in the 1990s when she served in ministerial posts for the Conservative Party.

Also a regular on reality television, more recently she acted as a spokeswoman for Reform. The party has reportedly tightened its security measures in response to her death, providing MPs with 24-hour protection.

In a post on X, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she spoke to the head of counterterrorism police on Monday morning and would update MPs on Monday afternoon.

Widdecombe was found dead at her home in Devon in southwest England on Thursday, having sustained “serious injuries”. Police have not disclosed a cause of death, but believe she was attacked at about 12:30pm on Wednesday.

The suspect was arrested around 320 kilometres (200 miles) from the scene of the crime in South Yorkshire. He has not been formally charged.

Reform UK board member Gawain Towler told reporters on Monday that the police had attempted to “massage public opinion” by initially saying there was “nothing to suggest” the suspected murder was politically motivated.