Police said that a suspect detained at the weekend over the attack on the 78-year-old former Conservative minister has now been re-arrested on suspicion of committing, preparing or instigating “terrorism.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced that following “new information and evidence,” Counter Terrorism Police “are now leading the investigation into the horrific murder” of Widdecombe, who was found dead on Thursday at her home in south-west England.
The head of UK 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 on Monday that a suspect arrested earlier had been “re-arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.”
On Saturday, they had arrested a 28-year-old white British man in Yorkshire in northern England, about 480 kilometres from Widdecombe’s home, on suspicion of murder.
Police initially said there was “no information to suggest that this is a terrorism related incident”.
Mahmood said the killing was a “dark day in our political life” and “raises questions about the security of those in public life” as well as that of former MPs.
But she told parliament the suspect arrested was “not known to Prevent,” the government programme for people at risk of becoming terrorists through radicalisation.
A staunch supporter of Brexit, Widdecombe left the Conservatives in 2019 to join the hard-right party of anti-immigration leader Nigel Farage.
Mahmood said she recognised “the particular concern that the Reform Party will feel today.”
She offered Farage a meeting with the head of the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), the independent body that manages the security of public figures.
Farage has repeatedly expressed concerns over his personal safety. He had a milkshake and a coffee cup thrown at him during his 2024 campaign to become an MP.
He claimed a gift of £5 million from a billionaire donor of Reform – over which he faces a parliamentary probe – was to pay for his protection.
Police have said Widdecombe was believed to have been attacked 24 hours before her body was found at her remote home named “Widdecombe’s Rest” in a quiet village on the edge of Dartmoor national park.
Britain’s ITV television reported that its staff were messaging Widdecombe on Wednesday about a scheduled interview, with her last reply at 12.19 pm, after which she did not respond.
The politician became a household name in the 1990s due to her socially conservative views that put her on the right of the Tories.
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.
The Times reported that the man lived alone with his dog.
He was arrested hours after police released a previous man they had detained on Friday with no further action.
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.
She endeared herself to the British public when she appeared in 2010 on the BBC’s “Strictly Come Dancing” show where celebrities with no dance experience are paired with a professional partner.
Her “galumphing” moves, as she described her dance style, helped her survive as far as the show’s quarter-finals thanks to the vote from the public, who delighted in her ability to laugh at herself. (AFP)
