A new suspect has been arrested in connection with the alleged murder of former Member of Parliament Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead in her Dartmoor home earlier this week after sustaining significant injuries.
Devon and Cornwall Police said on Sunday morning that a 28-year-old “white British national” male was arrested in South Yorkshire on suspicion of the murder of 78-year-old Brexiteer politician Ann Widdecombe.
Although the man was arrested by counterterror officers, the local police force said that the case is not currently being considered as an act of terrorism, The Telegraph reported.
Police were said to have been searching for the driver of a car who had been acting “suspiciously” in the area around the time of the death of the former MP.
Assistant chief constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, Matt Longman said: “At this point there is still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism-related incident and at this point we are not looking at anyone else in connection to this murder.
“Detectives remain open-minded about the potential motive. At this stage there is nothing to suggest it was politically motivated.”
The arrest came shortly after an initial suspect, described as a 26-year-old “white British national” male, was set free on Saturday after police reportedly reached the conclusion that he was not involved in the killing of Widdecombe.
In the wake of the killing, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, of which Widdecombe was a member, will reportedly extend 24-hour security measures for all of its MPs.
The subject of security for Mr Farage has been a subject of much debate in recent days over the £5 million gift from billionaire and businessman Christopher Harborne to the Reform chief to pay for his security detail.
Mr Farage has claimed to be the subject of frequent death threats and has been physically attacked on multiple occasions in public.
The Reform boss has said that he believes the killing of his long-time political ally was an act of “premeditated murder”.
“Whether it was politically motivated, whether it was somebody with a grudge, I don’t think it pays at this moment in time to speculate,” he said on Saturday.
Laying a wreath for Widdecombe at her property in Devon, Mr Farage said: “She was a remarkable individual, redoubtable – I think the word was invented for her.
“Opponents knew exactly what to expect from her and at times I have to say colleagues felt the wrath of her tongue. She was the fiercest proponent of free speech I think I have ever met. She believed we had the freedom and the right to say things that insulted each other.”
Widdecombe was first elected to parliament in 1987 and served as a government minister under former Tory Prime Minsiter John Major. After a stint as a television personality, she returned to frontline politics in 2019, joining Farage’s Brexit Party and serving as a Member of the European Parliament for the party until the EU withdrawal was finally completed in 2020.