UK counter-terror police lead Ann Widdecombe murder inquiry

Counter-terrorism police have taken over the investigation into the killing of veteran British right-wing politician Ann Widdecombe after new evidence emerged, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said Monday.

Police said a suspect detained at the weekend over the attack on the 78-year-old former Conservative minister had been re-arrested on suspicion of committing, preparing or instigating terrorism.

Mahmood wrote on X that, following new information and evidence, Counter Terrorism Policing was now leading the investigation into Widdecombe's murder. She was due to address MPs later Monday about the inquiry.

Laurence Taylor, the head of UK counter-terrorism policing, said investigators were pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for the attack.

Devon and Cornwall Police, the regional force that initially led the investigation, said Monday that a suspect arrested earlier had been re-arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. On Saturday, the force announced the arrest of a 28-year-old white British man in Yorkshire, about 300 miles, or 480 kilometres, from Widdecombe's home, on suspicion of murder. At that time, police said there was still no information to suggest the incident was terrorism-related.

Police have said Widdecombe was believed to have been attacked 24 hours before her body was found Thursday at her remote home, called Widdecombe's Rest, in a quiet village on the edge of Dartmoor national park in southwest England.

ITV reported that its staff had been messaging Widdecombe on Wednesday about a scheduled interview. It said her last reply came at 12:19 pm and that she did not respond after that.

The Daily Telegraph, citing neighbours, reported that the suspect arrested in Yorkshire had left his home in Rotherham on Wednesday morning carrying a wooden stick. The Times reported that the man lived alone with his dog. He was arrested hours after police released another man detained on Friday with no further action.

Widdecombe was a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010 and was known for her Christian faith and outspoken views. As prisons minister in 1995, she was involved in a dispute after defending a policy of chaining pregnant prisoners to stop them escaping.

A strong supporter of Brexit, Widdecombe left the Conservatives in 2019 to join the hard-right party of anti-immigration leader Nigel Farage. She also became widely known to the British public through her 2010 appearance on the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, where celebrities without dance experience perform with professional partners.