Police in Britain are questioning a suspect in the slaying of a prominent former Conservative lawmaker turned TV personality who was found dead Thursday inside her southwest England home.
A man described by officers as a White, 26-year-old British national was in custody Friday, the day after Ann Widdecombe, 78, was killed. An ambulance crew called police after finding Ms. Widdecombe’s body covered in blood from a suspicious head wound, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.
Devon & Cornwall Police said she was pronounced dead at the scene from “serious injuries.”
“Our murder inquiry is in its early stages but moving at a significant pace. We are deploying all of the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened and to locate the person responsible, who we believe to be a White male,” Detective Chief Inspector Ilona Rosson said in a statement.
The motive of the slaying remains under investigation, police said.
Police put a cordon around Ms. Widdecombe’s home as detectives questioned neighbors and checked closed-circuit TV cameras in the area.
“We have an increased uniformed police presence in the area to both support the investigation and provide reassurance to residents,” Chief Inspector Rosson said. “I would appeal to anyone who may have information about this incident, however insignificant it may seem, to come forward and speak to us.”
Ms. Widdecombe served in Parliament as a Conservative Party member for more than 20 years. A prominent Eurosceptic, she later represented the Brexit Party in the European Parliament before joining Reform UK, which called her “the most significant woman in British politics since Margaret Thatcher.”
“If anyone can be said to have changed politics for good, it was Ann Widdecombe,” Reform party officials said on X.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said her decision to run for the European Parliament in 2019 as a Brexit Party candidate was a “huge boost” to the effort to pull Britain out of the European Union.
“The voters loved her. She played a decisive role in getting Brexit over the line and will be missed by us all,” Mr. Farage said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was shocked after learning of the circumstances of Ms. Widdecombe’s death.
“Today we come together across the political divide and pay tribute to Ann’s dedication during her many years of public service,” Mr. Starmer said on X.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called Ms. Widdecombe a “formidable politician who was never afraid to speak her mind and fought hard for what she believed.”
She added, “Always true to herself, her politics were strongly guided by her faith and her values. Rest in peace, Ann.”
Ms. Widdecombe had a second career on TV and radio after stepping down from the British Parliament. She was a contestant on “Strictly Come Dancing” — the British version of “Dancing With the Stars” — in 2010 and a runner-up on the U.K. version of “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2018.
She also hosted “Ann Widdecombe Versus,” a documentary series in which she spoke with community members about social issues such as prostitution and gang activity in the U.K.
British police said they would release further information when possible and asked the public not to speculate about the case, particularly on social media.
“This is not only potentially harmful to our investigation but also deeply distressing for family and friends of Ann Widdecombe,” Chief Inspector Rosson said.
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