Ann Widdecombe: U.K. police release suspect in former MP’S death

Ann Widdecombe, Brexit Party member, is interviewed after Nigel Farage, Leader of Britain's Brexit Party, spoke on stage at the launch of their policies for the General Election campaign, in London, Nov. 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

LONDON — British police on Saturday released a 26-year-old man they arrested as a suspect in the killing of Ann Widdecombe, a former British member of Parliament and reality TV contestant.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the man was no longer under investigation. The force said detectives are working at “at a significant pace” to find the killer, and they don’t believe there is a risk to the public.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead Thursday in her isolated rural home in the village of Haytor on the edge of Dartmoor National Park in southwest England. Police did not disclose a cause of death, saying only that she had sustained “serious injuries.”

Police said they believe Widdecombe was attacked at around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Concerns were raised for her after she failed to appear for a scheduled TV interview on Wednesday afternoon.

The now-released suspect was arrested Friday in a town a few miles away.

Police later said the killing was not believed to be an act of terror and there was no information to suggest it was politically motivated.

The death sent shock waves through British politics, where Widdecombe had been a prominent voice for decades, known for her robust personality and socially conservative views opposing abortion and the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights.

She was a lawmaker in the House of Commons as an MP from 1987 to 2010, serving in roles including prisons minister in Prime Minister John Major’s 1990s Conservative government.

Widdecombe found fame after leaving Parliament as a contestant on the reality television shows “Strictly Come Dancing” and “Celebrity Big Brother.”

She later joined the Brexit Party, briefly serving as a member of the European Parliament before Britain left the European Union in 2020. Most recently, she joined the anti-immigration Reform UK party, often appearing in the media as a spokesperson.

Friends and colleagues contrasted her pugnacious political statements with her personal kindness and good humor.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called her death “really shocking news,” and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she “really struggled to find the words to say.”

“It was a nasty, horrific attack and my heart is breaking for her family,” Badenoch said.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he was deeply upset over Widdecombe’s death and claimed that “things have become even more dangerous” for people in public life.

Security has been tightened for politicians after the murders of two serving members of Parliament in the past decade. Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, and Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group.

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press