Counter-terrorism police in the United Kingdom are now leading the investigation into the death of former Conservative government minister Ann Widdecombe.
Police previously said the murder investigation into the death of the 78-year-old former minister, who defected from the Conservative Party to Reform UK, was neither an act of terrorism nor politically motivated, but they now say new information has come to light.
“New information and evidence has come to light during what has been a dynamic and complex investigation and, as a result, Counter Terrorism Policing South East is now leading the investigation,” police said in a statement.
Widdecombe’s body was found with serious injuries by ambulance officers at her home in Haytor, Devon, at 11.40am on Thursday. Police believe she may have been killed 24 hours earlier, based on messages she sent to a television producer, which ceased at that time. Concerns for her welfare were raised when she failed to log on for a scheduled interview.
Devon and Cornwall Police initially arrested a 26-year-old man not far from the property, but later said he was no longer a person of interest. A 28-year-old man was later arrested in South Yorkshire, some 400km away.
The head of national counter-terrorism policing, Laurence Taylor, said: “Building on the progress made by our colleagues in Devon and Cornwall Police, we now have new information and evidence that means counter-terrorism policing is now leading the investigation.
“We are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for this attack. Our priority is progressing this investigation quickly, using all the capabilities available to us. If anyone has any information, please share it with the police.”
Police have previously described the man arrested as a “white British national”.
Widdecombe was an MP for the Conservative Party from 1987 until 2010. She later served in the European Parliament before joining the right-wing party Reform UK. She served as a minister under Prime Minister John Major. Throughout her political career, she opposed laws that gave equality to LGBTIQA+ people.
Throughout her political career, Ann Widdecombe was known for her socially conservative views, including her opposition to abortion and her support for conversion therapy for LGBTIQA+ people. In 2019 she told Sky News that science had “yet to produce an answer” on why some people are not heterosexual.
During her time in the UK Parliament, 17 items relating to LGBTIQA+ rights came before the House. Widdecombe opposed 15 of them and was not present for the votes on the other two. She opposed the equalisation of the age of consent and the removal of Section 28 legislation, which banned any mention of homosexuality in government spaces, including education and libraries. Widdecombe also opposed same-sex marriage and gender self-identification for transgender people.
Religion was a significant part of Widdecombe’s life; she converted to Catholicism after the Church of England allowed the ordination of women. She never married or had children.
After leaving politics, she became a fixture on British reality television programs, including Celebrity Big Brother, Strictly Come Dancing, and Celebrity Fit Club.
