Counter-terror police probe murder of former MEP Ann Widdecombe
The killing of former Brexit Party MEP Ann Widdecombe, now under investigation by counter-terrorism police, has shocked British public life and highlighted the severe security risks facing prominent political figures.
Ann Widdecombe, the 78-year-old former MEP and prominent Brexit campaigner, has been found dead at her home in Devon, with a 28-year-old man charged with her murder. Joshua Kerry, from Rotherham in South Yorkshire, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court to face the charge. The killing has sent a profound shock through British and European political circles.
Widdecombe was discovered unresponsive at her Haytor residence on 9 July by an employee who conducted a welfare check after she became "uncontactable". Emergency services were called to the property, but she was pronounced dead at 12:20 BST. Exeter Corner's Court heard that the former politician was found with "visible injuries".
A post-mortem examination has since taken place, but the full picture of her death remains unclear. Philip Spinney, the senior coroner for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, told the opening of the inquest that "at this stage the precise medical cause of death has yet to be established". He formally adjourned the inquest "until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings".
The ongoing investigation is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing South East, supported by Devon and Cornwall Police. This elevated law enforcement response carries significant implications for public life in Europe, underscoring the severe security threats that confront high-profile political figures. Kerry was initially arrested two days after the incident on suspicion of murder, and later re-arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
For readers across the continent, Widdecombe was a highly recognizable figure in the debates that shaped modern Europe. She served as the Conservative MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years and held ministerial roles in Sir John Major's government in the 1990s. Her later transition to representing South West England as a Brexit Party MEP placed her at the center of the continent's most turbulent political era.
Following her departure from the Commons, she maintained a high public profile through television appearances, including BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 and Celebrity Big Brother in 2018. She remained active in politics, joining Reform UK as a party spokeswoman in 2023. Her violent death marks a sudden end to a decades-long presence in British public life.
