LONDON — Police said Friday that a 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of Ann Widdecombe, the former British member of Parliament who later became known to television audiences through reality shows.
Widdecombe, 78, was discovered dead Thursday at her home in Haytor Vale, near the edge of Dartmoor National Park in southwest England. Devon and Cornwall Police said she had suffered “serious injuries.”
Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said investigators do not believe the killing was an act of terrorism, and there is currently no information indicating it was politically motivated.
Longman did not offer details on a possible motive, but confirmed that the suspect remains in custody while the investigation continues.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the news as deeply disturbing and offered condolences to Widdecombe’s loved ones. “This is really shocking news, and my thoughts, I think all of our thoughts, will be with the family and friends of Ann Widdecombe at this awful time,” he said. “Ann was a distinguished politician over many, many years with many achievements, and it’s a huge, huge loss.”
After leaving Parliament, Widdecombe reached a wider audience through appearances on reality television programs including Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother. She later became involved with the Brexit Party and went on to serve as a spokeswoman for Reform UK, the anti-immigration party.
Widdecombe served as a member of the House of Commons from 1987 until 2010. During her political career, she was widely associated with socially conservative positions, including opposition to abortion rights and the expansion of LGBTQ rights.
Starmer declined to speculate on whether politics played any role in the killing, but said the safety of elected officials remained “of the utmost importance.” He also called on the public to look beyond political divisions in the wake of the attack.
Security has been tightened for politicians after the murders of two serving members of Parliament in the past decade. Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, and Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Widdecombe a “heroic Brexiteer and a great speaker who could move Tory audiences to such ecstasy that she was a very hard act to follow.”
The management company that represented her after she left politics said her life and career were driven by strong Christian values and a commitment to public service.
“She loved the cut and thrust of political debate and, 16 years after leaving Parliament, was still actively campaigning for Reform UK and offering forthright views on the hot topics of the day,” Cloud9 Management said.
“As Ann once said…‘we get one go this side of eternity, one go. Life is not a dress rehearsal, you take opportunities that you like, and you go for it, that’s my philosophy’.”
