UK police arrest man suspected of murdering former MP Ann Widdecombe

Summary

British police have arrested a 26-year-old man on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe, a former government minister and prominent Brexit campaigner, who was found dead at her home on Thursday. Matt Longman, from Devon and ⁠Cornwall Police, said on Friday that the suspect remained in custody and ⁠that the ⁠incident “is not ⁠being treated as terrorism” or politically ‌motivated. Police earlier said they launched a murder inquiry after officers were called to Widdecombe’s home in southwest England around midday on Thursday and found the 78-year-old dead with serious injuries. “Our murder enquiry is in its early stages but moving at a significant pace,” Devon and Cornwall Police said in an earlier statement. “We are deploying all of the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened and to locate the person responsible who we believe to be a ‌white male.” Forensic examinations were continuing at the property, they added. Widdecombe was a Conservative member of parliament between 1987 and 2010 and held several junior ministerial positions in former Prime Minister John Major’s government. She later joined the Brexit Party and the far-right, anti-immigration Reform UK . Outgoing UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed condolences to Widdecombe’s family and friends. “This is really shocking news,” he said. “Ann was a distinguished politician over many, many years with many achievements, and it’s a huge, huge loss,” he added. A spokesperson for Labour politician Andy Burnham, who will likely be the next prime minister, said his “deepest condolences and thoughts are with Ann’s family today, in incredibly distressing circumstances”, British media reported. She also defended a policy of shackling pregnant ⁠prisoners during childbirth to prevent their escape. After leaving Parliament, she appeared on the TV talent ⁠show “Strictly Come Dancing” in 2010 and proved popular with viewers. Her most recent post was as immigration spokesperson for Reform UK, the rebranded Brexit Party, which leads in many ‌opinion polls.