Ann Widdecombe made an appearance on television at 8 a.m., broadcasting from her secluded home in southern England. Just hours after this, attempts to contact her proved unsuccessful. The following morning, on July 8th, she was discovered dead with severe injuries, prompting the arrest of a suspect in connection with her alleged murder.
The reported killing of 78-year-old Widdecombe, a prominent right-wing MP for many years, has gripped the UK audience.
Initially, authorities stated there was no indication of terrorism, but on Tuesday (AEST), the situation evolved when a 28-year-old British man was charged with offences linked to terrorism.
Here, we break down all the details surrounding Widdecombe’s presumed murder.
Who was Ann Widdecombe?
Renowned across the UK, Widdecombe was known for her controversial stance as a socially conservative politician and later became a familiar face in the media world.
Her political career started in 1987, when she was elected as Conservative Party MP for Maidstone (later Maidstone and Weald). After 23 years in parliament, she stepped down in 2010.
In mid-2019, she returned to politics, seeking and winning a seat in the European Parliament with the Brexit Party. Her tenure ended with Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union in January 2020. In 2023, she joined Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, the successor to the Brexit Party, as immigration and justice spokesperson.
Widdecombe was well known for her socially and politically conservative politics.
She opposed abortion, voluntary assisted dying, gay marriage and trans rights; She advocated for the reintroduction of the death penalty and supported gay conversion therapy.
The long-standing MP also called for tight immigration controls.
Later she became a regular on British TV, appearing on Celebrity Fit Club, Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.
Tributes have poured in following her death from across the political spectrum.
What is the timeline so far?
Just after 8am on Wednesday 8 July (local time), Widdecombe appeared on the TalkTV streaming channel from her country home in the tiny village of Haytor in Devon, south-west England.
At 12.19pm, a producer from another TV channel reportedly spoke to Widdecombe on the phone, hoping to set up a video interview.
At 12.48pm, the producer messaged Widdecombe, but never got a reply.
UK police believe she was killed between these two points of contact.
She was found dead in her home with serious injuries by paramedics the following day.
On 10 July, a 26-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder, before being released the following day.
The next night, a 28-year-old white British man was arrested 480km north of where her body was found. At the time, they said they did not believe her alleged attack was politically motivated, but that changed on Monday afternoon.
The investigation is now being handled by counter-terrorism police, after “new information and evidence came to light”.
Deaths of other UK politicians
Widdecombe’s death follows the high-profile murders of two other British politicians.
Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed by a Nazi-obsessed attacker during the Brexit campaign in 2016.
Conservative MP Sir David Amess was stabbed to death in 2021 by a man inspired by the self-proclaimed Islamic State group.
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said this week that Widdecombe’s alleged murder was a “dark day in our political life” and said it “raises questions about the security of those in public life” as well as that of former MPs.
But she told parliament the suspect had not been on the radar of anti-terrorism police.
Given Widdecombe was immigration and justice spokesperson for Nigel Farage’s hard-right anti-immigration party, 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, 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.