A 28-year-old man has been arrested in South Yorkshire late Saturday in connection with the killing of the former minister at her Dartmoor home. Counterterrorism officers supported the arrest, though police say there is no evidence of a terrorism motive.
HAYTOR, DEVON: The investigation into the murder of Ann Widdecombe moved to the north of England on Saturday night as Devon and Cornwall Police announced the arrest of a 28-year-old man in South Yorkshire, more than 200 miles from the village of Haytor where the 78-year-old former minister was found dead on Thursday. The arrest came hours after police had released a 26-year-old man arrested near the scene on Friday, confirming he was no longer part of the investigation and that a wider manhunt was under way.
The new arrest represents a dramatic geographical shift in the inquiry. South Yorkshire, in northern England, is far removed from the rural Devon setting of the crime, raising immediate questions about how and why the suspect came to be in the southwest and when he may have left. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that counterterrorism officers supported local detectives in carrying out Saturday’s arrest, a significant operational detail. However, the force was emphatic that there is no information to suggest this is a terrorism-related incident. The involvement of counterterrorism resources is understood to reflect the high-profile and sensitive nature of the case rather than any specific intelligence about a political motive.
Police continue to work on the basis that Widdecombe was attacked at around 12:30pm on Wednesday 8 July, the day before her body was found. She had been in contact with a producer from Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show that morning, with her final message received at 12:19pm. An invitation to join a video link at 12:48pm went unanswered. When she failed to respond to further calls and messages, the production team alerted her agent, who sent a neighbour to check on her. Officers were called to the property by the ambulance service at around 11:40am on Thursday and found her dead, having sustained serious injuries. A forensic cordon remains in place at the property.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, of which Widdecombe was immigration and justice spokeswoman, said party staff had searched internal emails for any patterns of threatening or abusive correspondence directed at her, but had not found anything of significance. Farage described Widdecombe’s death as a terrible reflection on modern Britain and said he was deeply upset. He declined to speculate on motive, as did police, who have urged the public and media to avoid circulating unverified information that could compromise the inquiry or cause further distress to Widdecombe’s family.
The case has drawn comparisons with two previous murders of prominent British political figures. Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist during the Brexit campaign, and Conservative MP David Amess was stabbed to death in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group. In the wake of this killing, security arrangements for current and former elected officials across all parties have been reviewed. Though Widdecombe held no formal office at the time of her death, she remained an active and visible public figure.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the news as really shocking and called on all parties to come together. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she really struggled to find the words, describing it as a nasty, horrific attack. Former prime minister Boris Johnson paid tribute to her as a heroic Brexiteer and formidable parliamentary performer. Widdecombe served as a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010, held ministerial roles under John Major, and was beloved by a wider public through her appearances on Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.
The 28-year-old arrested in South Yorkshire remained in custody on Saturday night. Devon and Cornwall Police said the investigation was moving at a significant pace and that detectives remained committed to establishing the full circumstances of the killing. Global Echos will continue to follow all developments in this case.
