Murder investigation into death of ex-UK MP Widdecombe

Police in the UK have launched a murder investigation into the death of former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe.

The ex-prisons minister, who was 78, later became a Brexit Party MEP and subsequently a Reform UK spokeswoman.

She also found fame outside politics after starring in Strictly Come Dancing.

A manhunt has been launched for a white male believed to be responsible, police said.

The UK Home Secretary has urged the public to refrain from speculation over Ms Widdecome's death, describing the circumstances as "extremely distressing".

In a post on X, Shabana Mahmood said: "I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of Ann Widdecombe. The circumstances of her death are extremely distressing and my thoughts are with Ann's family and loved ones.

"Ann’s dedication to public service was decades long, and she was a true servant of her constituents.

"I have spoken to the Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall police today. The Home Office stands ready to provide whatever support they need with their ongoing investigation.

"I urge everyone to avoid speculation and allow the police investigation to progress."

Ms Widdecombe, who appeared on Talk radio on Wednesday, lived in Haytor, near Newton Abbott in Devon.

In an earlier statement, Ms Widdecombe's management team said she had "loved the cut and thrust of political debate" and was a "consummate professional".

"Her life and career were driven by her strong Christian values and commitment to public service," the statement said.

"16 years after leaving Parliament, she was still actively campaigning for Reform UK and offering forthright views on the hot topics of the day across numerous radio and television programmes."

Ms Widdecombe was a Conservative MP between 1987 and 2010 for the Kent constituency of Maidstone, later Maidstone and the Weald, and held several ministerial positions in John Major's government.

She famously clashed with her Conservative colleague Michael Howard, when she was a Home Office minister and he home secretary, describing him as having "something of the night about him".

Ms Widdecombe also faced flak for defending a policy of chaining pregnant prisoners to their beds.

A well-known figure in public life, she was the subject of a Louis Theroux documentary in 2002.

She also appeared on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, was a runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018 and fronted Have I Got News For You on multiple occasions.

'Firm views'

Throughout her political career, Ms Widdecombe was a prominent Eurosceptic and supported the Vote Leave campaign during the 2016 Brexit referendum.

She became a member of the Brexit Party from 2019 and served as an MEP representing South West England in Brussels between 2019 and 2020.

Ms Widdecombe joined Nigel Farage's Reform UK in 2023, the successor to the Brexit Party, and made an appearance at its party conference the following year as Reform’s immigration spokesperson.

She was also known for her socially conservative views, which included opposing the legality of abortion and widening rights for the LGBT community during her Commons career.

The UK’s Health Secretary James Murray said Ms Widdecombe was "never shy of having quite firm views" and everyone "can recognise the contribution that she made to politics."

"She was never shy of having quite firm views and sharing them quite willingly," he said.

"I can’t say I always agreed with her views, but she was such a part of our politics."

"I think everyone can kind of recognise the contribution that she made to politics and the role that she played in our public life."

'Loyal ally'

Nigel Farage has said Ms Widdecombe would disagree behind closed doors with some of Reform UK's policies and direction but would be an "incredibly loyal ally" in public, hailing her as an "absolute force of nature."

The Reform UK leader said: "She was an absolute force of nature. She never let anyone… with any doubt in their minds at all where she stood on all the great issues of the day, and she was formidable too.

"You know, in public, she was most incredibly loyal ally."

He added that Miss Widdecombe moving to the Brexit Party was a "very significant" moment in "our political history", saying "She made us look serious. She made us look real."