Ann Widdecombe murder latest: Zia Yusuf accuses rival parties of ‘incitement’ following killing of Reform politician

Police will continue to quiz the man arrested on suspicion of Ann Widdecombe’s death on Thursday.

Officers confirmed they have been granted a warrant of further detention under the Terrorism Act, which allows them to hold the suspect for seven days from the date of his arrest.

Meanwhile, questions over the safety and security of politicians and former politicians are expected to continue.

Nigel Farage has said he will meet with the chair of the body responsible for the security of high-profile figures on Thursday following an offer from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

“I will be in London tomorrow to meet the Home Office committee that deal with VIP and royal protection and really helping them to understand what the threats are,” he told TalkTV on Wednesday.

Zia Yusuf appeared to accuse politicians and the media of creating a narrative tantamount to “incitement” against Reform following the suspected murder of Ann Widdecombe.

In a press conference on Thursday, the Reform UK home affairs spokesman said the “climate in which she (Miss Widdecombe) was killed” had been one of “a relentless narrative from politicians and the media that Reform UK is a threat, a threat to be urgently stopped”.

He added: “A narrative so relentless it constitutes incitement. And why are we targeted like this? Because we say things that are unfashionable among many in Westminster, but are popular in the country at large.”

The death of another political figure has reopened old wounds for Brendan Cox, whose wife was killed by an extremist in 2016. He writes that unless Britain tackles the mainstreaming of political violence, more lives – and democracy itself – are at risk.

Google’s AI policy says it restricts personal information such as addresses from its AI summaries – but Ann Widdecombe’s Haytor address was spelled out in full.

Jacqui Merrington reports:

A video tour of Ann Widdecombe’s remote Devon home aired on television a week before she was found murdered inside her home.

The former Conservative prisons minister and Reform party spokesperson is understood to have first invited cameras into her bungalow in Haytor, Dartmoor, back in 2022.

However, the episode of Celebrity Yorkshire Auction House was re-broadcast on Quest at 6pm on Thursday 2 July, according to listings.

The uncle of the man suspected of Ann Widdecombe’s murder has described his nephew as a “gentle giant” who is “polite” and “very shy”.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the 73-year-old said “never in a million years” did he think his nephew would be linked to her death, adding he was “in total shock” when he found out about the arrest.

He also paid tribute to Ms Widdecombe, who he said was “forthright, strident, and principled”.

The former MP’s murder has rekindled the debate over how to protect our politicians – and turned the Clacton by-election into a sombre affair, says John Rentoul.

The suspected murder of veteran politician Ann Widdecombe is being investigated as an act of terrorism, police have said.

Counter-terror police (CTP) have re-arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. He was originally taken into custody in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on Saturday evening on suspicion of murder, after Devon and Cornwall Police had previously said there was nothing to suggest the attack was terrorism-related.

Police were called to Ms Widdecombe’s property in Haytor at around 11.40am on Thursday, nearly 24 hours after she abruptly stopped responding to messages minutes before a scheduled interview.

CTP said on Monday that “new information and evidence” had come to light, which meant they were now leading the investigation and would pursue multiple lines of enquiry to establish the motivation for this attack.

Here’s what we know about what happened to Ann Widdecombe:

Nigel Farage has said he plans to meet the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (RAVEC), the body responsible for the security of high-profile figures, on Thursday following an offer from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

“I will be in London tomorrow to meet the Home Office committee that deal with VIP and royal protection and really helping them to understand what the threats are,” he told TalkTV on Wednesday.

Mr Farage was reportedly offered a security package similar to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch last year, including a bodyguard, car and trained driver, but he turned it down because he deemed it a downgrade.

He said: “What happened was I was provided with… much bigger security than Kemi Badenoch.

“Do you know why? Because I go out around the country and walk down high streets. I go and mix in public events. I’m surrounded by hundreds of people.

“I can’t do that with a driver and one officer. I have to have people that go ahead, scout out the environment. I need more people because of my constant interaction with huge numbers of the public.

“What happened last year was they cut that by 75% to the level that I simply could not have continued to operate the way that I was.

“That really is part of the thinking behind the big gift that I got from Christopher Harborne.”