Britain’s Counter Terrorism Policing network has assumed command of the murder investigation into Ann Widdecombe, the 78-year-old former Conservative minister and later Reform UK spokeswoman found dead at her Devon home on Thursday. A 28-year-old white British man, initially arrested on suspicion of murder in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on Saturday, has been re-arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. The decision, announced on Monday, reverses an earlier assessment by Devon and Cornwall Police that there was no indication of a political motive or terrorist link.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the House of Commons that officers are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for the attack. She confirmed the suspect was not known to the government’s Prevent anti-extremism programme and urged MPs to avoid speculation while the investigation proceeds. The Home Secretary also stated she would review what security guidance can be provided to former parliamentarians and offered Reform UK leader Nigel Farage a meeting with the parliamentary body responsible for politicians’ security.

Reform UK figures had publicly questioned the initial police position. Party home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf accused the government, police and the Speaker of the House of Commons of failing to take seriously the safety of the party’s MPs. Mr Farage, who visited the scene to pay tribute, described the killing as premeditated and said his party would now provide 24-hour security for its parliamentarians. The party’s concerns sit within a wider debate on the protection of public figures, following the murders of MPs Jo Cox in 2016 and David Amess in 2021.

Widdecombe served as a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010, holding ministerial office under John Major, and was known for socially conservative positions opposing abortion and the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights. She later represented the Brexit Party in the European Parliament and became immigration and justice spokesperson for Reform UK. Police believe she was attacked at her isolated bungalow around midday on Wednesday, approximately 24 hours before her body was discovered with serious injuries. CCTV footage published by British media shows a man placing a long wooden object in a car outside a Rotherham address on Wednesday morning, before driving the roughly 430-kilometre journey to Devon. The suspect remains in custody as forensic searches continue at properties in both counties.