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Farage -
Public life ‘more dangerous’ after Widdecombe death
10th July
By
Matthew Benton-Smith
Reporter
Recently
resigned Clacton MP Nigel Farage claims "things have become even more
dangerous" for people in public life after police announced they had
arrested a man on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe.
The
ex-Tory prisons minister was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor on
Thursday after sustaining serious injuries.
Miss
Widdecombe, who was 78, later became a Brexit Party MEP and subsequently a
Reform UK spokeswoman.
A
26-year-old white British man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering the
former MP and MEP, Devon and Cornwall Police said.
Reform UK
leader Mr Farage said he was "deeply, deeply upset" by the nature of
Miss Widdecombe’s death.
He added:
"Rest in peace, Ann.
"A
remarkable, principled woman, and a truly dreadful way to die, and a terrible
reflection on modern Britain.
"And
I do fear that for anybody in public life, or especially the political space,
things have become even more dangerous to them."
Mr Farage
recently spoke of concerns about his own security as he faced scrutiny over a
£5 million gift he received from a billionaire Reform backer.
Elsewhere,
Sir Keir Starmer said the security of politicians "is of the utmost
importance".
But the
Prime Minister said he would not speculate when asked by reporters whether
there was a political motivation behind the case.
The
police said they have no reason to believe it was politically motivated.
The
spectre of a political motivation was raised because of attacks on politicians
over the last decade.
Labour MP
Jo Cox was killed in 2016 by a man with links to far-right extremism.
Sir David
Amess, a Conservative MP, was murdered in 2021 by an Islamic State sympathiser.
Conservative
leader Kemi Badenoch expressed disbelief at the circumstances of Miss
Widdecombe’s death.
She told
reporters: "I don’t understand how someone could do something so horrific
to an elderly person.
"It
was a nasty, horrific attack and my heart is breaking for her family.
"It’s
one thing when someone dies, but to know that they’ve been murdered in this
horrible way is just awful."
Commons
Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who established the Speakers’ Conference in 2024 to
examine the security risks faced by MPs, said: "I’m deeply shocked to
learn of the circumstances around Ann’s death.
"The
police investigation must now take its course and I hope anybody with relevant
information will contact them."
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