U.K. counterterrorism police take lead in probe into conservative politician’s killing: minister

The announcement confirmed that police view terrorism as one of the possible motivations for the attack on 78-year-old former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe

Anti-terrorism police have taken charge of the investigation into the killing of veteran British right-wing politician Ann Widdecombe after fresh evidence emerged, the interior minister said Monday. The announcement confirmed that police view terrorism as one of the possible motivations for the attack on the 78-year-old former Conservative minister, who was found dead Thursday at her home in southwest England. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood wrote on X that following “new information and evidence”, Counter Terrorism Policing “are now leading on the investigation into the horrific murder” of Widdecombe.”

Mahmood was to address MPs later Monday about the murder enquiry. The head of U.K. counter-terrorism policing, Laurence Taylor, said in a statement that “we are pursuing multiple lines of enquiry to establish the motivation for this attack”. The regional police force initially leading the investigation, Devon and Cornwall Police, said late Saturday that a 28-year-old British man had been arrested in Yorkshire in northern England on suspicion of murder.

The force said there was “still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism related incident”. Police have said Widdecombe was believed to have been attacked 24 hours before her body was found. The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported, citing neighbours, that the suspect arrested in Yorkshire had left his home in the town of Rotherham on Wednesday morning carrying a wooden stick.

He was arrested hours after police released a man they had detained earlier. Widdecombe, a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010, was known for her Christian faith and outspoken views. In 1995 as prisons minister she was embroiled in a row after defending a policy of chaining pregnant prisoners to prevent them from escaping.

A staunch supporter of Brexit, Widdecombe left the Conservatives in 2019 to join the party of anti-immigration leader Nigel Farage.