Police say British politician’s killing was targeted attack

LONDON: UK counter-terrorism police on Tuesday said the murder of veteran right-wing politician Ann Widdecombe was a “targeted attack”, as a 28-year-old man remained under arrest on suspicion of acts of “terrorism” and murder.

“It is clear that this was a targeted attack,” head of Counter Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor told reporters about the killing of the 78-year-old woman in her home last week, adding that officers were pursuing “multiple lines of inquiry”.

Widdecombe, a spokesperson for the hard-right Reform UK party and a former Conservative minister, was found dead in her home in Devon, southwest England on Thursday.

Counter-terrorism police took over the investigation on Monday as a 28-year-old white British man was detained on suspicion of “commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism” as well as suspicion of murder.

The man was first arrested on the weekend in Yorkshire in northern England, about 300 miles (480 km) from Widdecombe’s home on suspicion of murder, before being re-arrested as a terrorism suspect.

“We are still working to understand the extent of any planning or preparation and the motivation that sits behind that attack,” Taylor told reporters outside Scotland Yard.

He also said it was a “line of inquiry” whether the suspect was targeting other politicians who are part of Reform, the anti-immigration party led by pro-Brexit figurehead Nigel Farage.

Taylor urged the public to “think before sharing any unverified information” as the killing has garnered huge public interest. Widdecombe, a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010, was known for her staunch Christian faith and outspoken views, becoming a household name after appearing on reality shows in the 2010s.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2026

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