British police have arrested a man on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe, a 78-year-old former Conservative minister turned Reform UK spokeswoman.

Widdecombe was found dead on Thursday with serious injuries.

Police said they arrested a 26-year-old man in Newton Abbot.

“The man, who is a white British national, remains in police custody,” Sky News stated.

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Widdecombe’s agent announced her death “with great shock and sadness”, but did not say when, how or where she died.

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Devon and Cornwall Police said Widdecombe was found deceased at her home on Thursday morning with serious injuries, and they had launched a murder investigation into her death.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the media the investigation is “shocking news”, adding that Widdecombe’s death is a “significant loss”.

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman announced that a 26-year-old white British man was arrested on Friday afternoon on suspicion of Widdecombe’s murder, at an address in Newton Abbot – not far from Widdecombe’s home in the Haytor area in Dartmoor.

Police say the murder inquiry is in its early stages, but do not consider it a terrorist incident and say there is no information at this time to suggest it is politically motivated. They’re appealing to the public for any relevant information.

“Ann Widdecombe gave her life to public service. My tribute after the upsetting news today,” Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage said.

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Asked whether the arrested man was known to Ms. Widdecombe, Mr. Longman said it was too early in the investigation for him to comment and that detectives were keeping an open mind.

The news sent shock waves through British politics, and the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said she was “deeply saddened” to hear of Ms. Widdecombe’s death. “The circumstances of her death are extremely distressing and my thoughts are with Ann’s family and loved ones,” she wrote on social media.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the development as “really shocking” and described Ms. Widdecombe as a “distinguished politician.”

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Ms. Widdecombe served in the British Parliament for more than 20 years, until her retirement in 2010, and was a government minister in the 1990s under the Conservative prime minister John Major.

After Britain voted by a narrow margin to quit the European Union in a 2016 referendum, Ms. Widdecombe joined the Brexit Party, led by Nigel Farage, and represented it as a member of the European Parliament from 2019 to 2020. When the party changed its name to Reform U.K., she became a frequent spokeswoman for the party.

 

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