The murder of Ann Widdecombe, a figure of the conservative right in the United Kingdom found dead on Thursday in her home, was a “targeted attack”, the head of the British counter-terrorism police said on Tuesday.
• Also read: Murder of former English MP Ann Widdecombe: anti-terrorist police in charge of investigation
• Also read: Former English MP Ann Widdecombe found dead: a police investigation opened in the United Kingdom
Ann Widdecombe, 78, was a spokeswoman for the anti-immigration Reform UK party and a former Conservative MP.
His body had “serious injuries” when it was discovered in Haytor, Devon (southwest England), according to police.
“As the investigation is ongoing, I cannot provide many details. However, it is clear that this was a targeted attack,” counter-terrorism police chief Laurence Taylor said at a press conference.
“We continue to seek to determine the extent of any planning or preparation, as well as the motivations behind this attack,” he added.
The police are working on “several lines of investigation,” said this official.
A 28-year-old man, a “white British national”, was arrested on Saturday evening in the north of England. He is suspected of murder and of having committed, prepared or incited to commit acts of terrorism.
Police obtained an extension of his detention, which can last up to seven days under terrorism legislation.
Ann Widdecombe was a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010 and Secretary of State for Prisons (1995-1997).
A fervent supporter of Brexit, she left the Tories in 2019 to join Nigel Farage’s party, under whose banner she was elected an MEP, before becoming spokesperson for the anti-immigration Reform UK party.
Outside Parliament on Monday, Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood stressed that his murder “raises questions about the safety of public figures”.
Politics is “a vocation for us, but it should not be dangerous,” she said.
