Former politician and reality television contestant Ann Widdecombe was killed in what investigators described as a “targeted attack,” British counterterrorism police said Tuesday, while stressing that the motive remains under investigation.
A 28-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder and terrorism-related offenses remains in custody after police secured an extended detention warrant under the Terrorism Act, giving officers up to another week to question him.
“It is clear that this was a targeted attack,” Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, told reporters. “We are still working to understand the extent of any planning or preparation, and the motivation that sits behind that attack.”
Widdecombe’s death at 78 sent shockwaves through Britain’s political establishment. A former member of Parliament, she had long been one of the country’s most outspoken socially conservative figures, known for her firm opposition to abortion and to the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights.
Counterterror police assumed control of the investigation Monday after detectives uncovered new evidence.
Devon and Cornwall Police have faced criticism over their initial assessment, in which the force said the killing was not believed to be terrorism-related and that there was no indication it was politically motivated.
Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez defended the force Tuesday, saying fast-moving investigations can shift significantly as new information comes to light.
Investigators believe Widdecombe was attacked shortly after noon on Wednesday.
She failed to show up for a scheduled TV interview about an hour later and was found dead the next day in her isolated rural home in a village in southwest England.
Police did not disclose a cause of death, saying only that she had sustained “serious injuries.” Taylor called it a “brutal attack on a 78-year-old lady in her own home.”
The suspect was arrested Saturday in South Yorkshire county in northern England, more than 200 miles from the village of Haytor on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, where Widdecombe died.
Police have conducted extensive searches at his home and Taylor said they found evidence of planning, but he declined to provide details.
The man was arrested Saturday on suspicion of murder, but additional evidence found while he was in custody led police to rearrest him on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
The suspect has not been named because he has not been charged.
Widdecombe was in the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010, serving in roles including prisons minister in Prime Minister John Major’s 1990s Conservative government.
She found fame after leaving Parliament as a contestant on the reality television shows “Strictly Come Dancing” and “Celebrity Big Brother.”
She later joined the Brexit Party, briefly serving as a member of the European Parliament before Britain left the European Union in 2020.
Most recently, she joined the anti-immigration Reform UK party, often appearing in the media as a spokesperson.
The killing renewed concerns for politicians about security, which was tightened in the past decade after the murders of two serving members of Parliament.
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.
