Ann Widdecombe.Image: keystone
July 11, 2026, 11:40July 11, 2026, 11:40
There is a surprising turnaround in the alleged murder case involving British Brexit politician Ann Widdecombe. A 26-year-old man who was initially arrested on suspicion of murder has now been released, police said, according to the British news agency PA. The Briton is no longer part of the investigation.
The mysterious case is currently keeping Great Britain in suspense. The 78-year-old former MP and die-hard Brexit supporter Widdecombe was found dead in her home on Dartmoor in Devon. Her body showed serious injuries. The police are investigating murder. After the initially suspected man was released, there was initially no information about a new lead.
A terrorist background is not assumed, Police Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman from Devon and Cornwall Police said at a press conference on Friday evening. There is no indication that this was a politically motivated act. It was not clear whether this assessment has changed since then.
Widdecombe held ultra-conservative views
Widdecombe was a member of the Conservatives in the British Parliament for years and eventually sat as a member of the European Parliament as a staunch supporter of leaving the EU for the Brexit Party of Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage. She later served as spokesperson for the successor party, Reform UK. The politician, who converted to Catholicism, also represented ultra-conservative views. For example, she called for the reintroduction of the death penalty, spoke out against same-sex marriage and the self-determination of trans people about their gender.
Widdecombe was an extraordinary woman “who stood up and fought for what she believed in,” said Farage in a video message on
Widdecombe was also no stranger to British entertainment television: she appeared on the dance show “Strictly Come Dancing” and on “Celebrity Big Brother”. (sda/dpa)