UK police free suspect in ex-MP Ann Widdecombe murder investigation

Devon and Cornwall Police have confirmed that a 26-year-old white British man arrested on Friday in connection with the murder of former government minister Ann Widdecombe was released on Saturday and is no longer a suspect in the case.

Investigators now believe that Widdecombe, 78, was attacked on Wednesday at around 11:30 GMT, a full day before ambulance crews alerted police to her home in rural southwest England, where she was found dead with serious injuries. The arrest took place in Newton Abbot, approximately 14.5 kilometres (nine miles) from her residence.

Police stated there is no evidence to suggest the killing was terrorism-related or politically motivated, and that there is no wider risk to the public. The suspect is described as a white male.

Widdecombe was known for her socially conservative views. She served as a junior minister in Prime Minister John Major's Conservative government (1992–1997) and later as an immigration spokesperson for Nigel Farage's right-wing populist Reform UK party. She opposed abortion, equalising the age of consent for same-sex relationships, defended the shackling of pregnant prisoners during childbirth, and viewed single mothers as poor role models. However, she was unusual among Conservative MPs in opposing fox hunting with hounds.

News of her death prompted tributes from across the political spectrum in the UK, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer and from Farage, who described her as “an extraordinary woman.” “She stood up and fought for what she believed in – a devout Christian and somebody with strong, socially conservative views,” Farage said in a video posted on his X account.

Two serving British MPs have been murdered in the last decade: Labour MP Jo Cox, shot and stabbed by a far-right extremist during the 2016 Brexit campaign, and Conservative MP David Amess, stabbed to death in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group.