British police said today they had arrested a 26-year-old man on suspicion of murdering Anne Widdicombe, a former Conservative MP, supporter of Britain's exit from the European Union (EU) and a participant in a reality show.
Widdicombe (78) was found dead with serious injuries yesterday at her home in Haytor Vale, which is located on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, in southwest England.
There is no belief that the murder is an act of terrorism, and there is no information to suggest that the motive for the crime is political, said Assistant Chief Constable for Devon and Cornwall, Matt Longmanle, who did not mention any other motive, adding that the suspect is in custody and that the investigation is continuing.
"This is truly shocking news, and my thoughts - and I would say the thoughts of all of us - will be with the family and friends of Anne Widdicombe at this terrible time," said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a member of the Labour Party, adding. "Anne was a prominent politician for many years, she had many achievements, and this is a huge, huge loss."
Widdicombe was Minister for the Prison System within the Ministry of Justice in the Conservative government.
She achieved true fame after leaving parliament, when she became a participant in the reality shows "Strictly Come Dancing" and "Big Brother with Celebrities".
A Eurosceptic, she later joined the Brexit Party and became a spokesperson for Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party.
As a member of the Conservative Party, she was a member of the House of Commons of the British Parliament from 1987 to 2010. She was known for her socially conservative views. She was an opponent of abortion rights and the expansion of LGBTQ rights.
Prime Minister Starmer did not want to speculate whether the murder was politically motivated and said that the safety of the MPs was "of paramount importance", and called on the people to rise above political differences.
In the last ten years, two active British MPs have been murdered. Labour MP Jo Cox was killed by a right-wing extremist in 2016. Conservative MP David Amis was stabbed to death in 2021 by a man inspired by the atrocities of the Islamic State terrorist group.
Former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson described Widdicombe as "a Brexiteer heroine and a great orator who could bring Tory (Conservative) audiences to such ecstasy that it was difficult to do anything after her."
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