Police found Ann Widdecombe dead in her Dartmoor bungalow on Thursday morning, covered in blood from a serious head wound. The 78-year-old former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokesperson had lived alone at her home in Haytor, a rural village on Dartmoor, Devon.
Devon and Cornwall Police arrested a 26-year-old white British man on suspicion of murder on Friday afternoon at an address in Newton Abbot, about 10 miles from her home. He remains in police custody.
“A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering former MP Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead at her Devon home.”
Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman told a press conference that the force had consulted counter-terrorism policing as part of initial inquiries but that the incident is not being treated as terrorism. “At this time, I have got no information to believe that that is a politically motivated crime,” he said.
Longman added that it was “too early” to say whether the suspect was known to Widdecombe. The investigation is “in its early stages but moving at significant pace”, Detective Chief Inspector Ilona Rosson said. She described the death as “an extremely tragic incident”.
Police had been called to the scene by the ambulance service at about 11:40am on Thursday. Widdecombe’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. A cordon remains in place at the property, with forensic examinations and door-to-door inquiries under way.
Political leaders expressed shock. Sir Keir Starmer said the death was “really shocking” and that the priority was to help police “identify the individual suspected and make sure he’s arrested as quickly as possible”. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she was “stunned to hear this awful news” and described a “nasty and horrific attack”. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he was “deeply, deeply upset by the nature of her death”.
Widdecombe’s political career spanned decades. She served as MP for Maidstone for 23 years and was a Home Office and employment minister in Sir John Major’s government. After leaving Parliament, she appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 and Celebrity Big Brother in 2018. A staunch Brexiteer, she became an MEP for the Brexit Party in 2019 and later joined Reform UK in 2023 as its immigration and justice spokesperson.
Neighbours voiced shock. One, Susan Coyish, told The Sun she had last seen Widdecombe at a petrol station 10 days ago. Immediate next-door neighbour Peter Cornthwaite claimed he saw a white man wearing hiking gear arriving in a van at Widdecombe’s home in the early hours of Friday. Police have urged anyone with information to come forward.
