An investigation into the suspected killing of former British politician Ann Widdecombe is now being led by U.K. counterterrorism police, investigators said, days after announcing there was no evidence to suggest it was an act of terror.
A 28-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of murder after Widdecombe, 78, was found dead inside her home in an isolated village in Devon, southwest England, on Thursday, was re-arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, Counter Terrorism Policing South East said in an update Monday, in response to The Associated Press.
The suspect was first arrested on Saturday in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, two days after Widdecombe’s body was discovered. Rotherham is greater than 320 kilometres from the previous MP’s rural home.
The suspect has not been named because he has not been charged.
Flowers are seen outside the home of Ann Widdecombe on July 11, 2026, in Dartmoor, U.K. The previous Conservative minister and MP for Maidstone and The Weald was found dead at her home on Thursday morning. She had reportedly sustained serious head injuries.
Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)
Devon and Cornwall police initially said her death was not believed to be terror-related, saying there was no evidence to suggest it was politically motivated, but on Monday, it was announced that counterterrorism police were taking up the investigation.
“We’re pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to ascertain the motivation for this attack,” head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, Laurence Taylor, said in a press release to British media.
Get breaking National news
Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox because it happens so you will not miss a trending story.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood wrote on X on Monday that she had spoken with the pinnacle of counterterrorism police and that it was within the strategy of establishing the motivation for the “attack” on Widdecombe.
“We’re pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to ascertain the motivation for this attack. Our priority is progressing this investigation quickly, with all of the capabilities we’ve available to us. If anyone has any information, please share it with the police,” Taylor said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement Friday that the whole country was “utterly shocked” by the circumstances of Widdecombe’s death and urged people to “come together” across party lines.
Widdecombe, a former Conservative MP, Brexit Party member, member of the European Parliament and Reform U.K. spokesperson for Immigration and Justice, was found deceased by the ambulance service, which observed “serious injuries,” police said, without disclosing her reason for death.
Authorities said they imagine Widdecombe was attacked at around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Concerns were raised for her after she failed to look for a scheduled TV interview on Wednesday afternoon.
A forensic police officer works at the home of Ann Widdecombe on July 11, 2026, in Dartmoor, U.K.
Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images
Her alleged murder sent shock waves through British politics, where Widdecombe had been a distinguished voice for many years, known for her robust personality and socially conservative views opposing abortion and the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights.
She was a lawmaker within the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010, serving in various roles, including prisons minister in then-prime minister John Major’s Nineties Conservative government.
Widdecombe later found fame after leaving Parliament as a contestant on the fact television shows Strictly Come Dancing — the British version of Dancing with the Stars — and Celebrity Big Brother, before joining the Brexit Party.
Widdecombe lived in a bungalow named Widdecombe’s Rest in Haytor, a village in Dartmoor National Park. A plaque bearing the property’s name stood at the top of the driveway.
— with files from The Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.