28-Year Old Man Arrested After Ann Widdecombe Found Dead
Police have launched a murder inquiry after Ann Widdecombe was found dead on Thursday (Alamy)
2 min read
A 28-year-old man has been arrested in South Yorkshire on suspicion of murder after politician Ann Widdecombe was found dead in her home earlier this week.
A 26-year-old man was previously arrested on Friday but was released on Saturday and has now been ruled out of all police inquiries.
On Saturday evening, police said they had arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of murder shortly after 9pm at an address in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
Speaking on Sunday, assistant chief constable Matt Longman said that detectives remain "open-minded about the potential motive" and that the police were "not looking at anyone else in connection to this murder".
However, Longman said that there was “no information to suggest” that the attack was politically motivated or related to terrorism.
Widdecombe was a Conservative MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years and was a minister in the Conservative government of John Major. Later in life, she served as a Brexit Party Member of the European Parliament, before joining Reform UK.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the news of the circumstances surrounding Widdecombe's death was "really shocking" and his thoughts "will be with the family and friends of Ann Widdecombe at this awful time for them."
Starmer said he had spoken to the chief constable and said it is "really important that this is a moment where we rise above any political differences, the political divide, and say the single most important thing at the moment is that all of us and the public help the police identify the individual suspected and make sure he's arrested as quickly as possible",
A spokesperson for Andy Burnham, who is expected to replace Starmer as PM this month, said: "Andy’s deepest condolences and thoughts are with Ann’s family today, in incredibly distressing circumstances.
"Ann gave a lifetime of public service, and it’s absolutely right that the police put all their resources into investigating this as swiftly as possible."
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she was "stunned" by the news.
"To be honest, I’ve really struggled to find the words," she said.
"Ann Widdecombe was a very fun and feisty woman who spoke her mind. She was 78 years old. She was an elderly woman. I don’t understand how someone could do something so horrific to an elderly person.
"It was a nasty, horrific attack. My heart is breaking for her family."
