Ann Widdecombe inquest to open as police probe ‘targeted attack’
An inquest will be opened into the death of former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe.
Ms Widdecombe, 78, was found dead and suffering “serious injuries” at her Dartmoor home on July 9.
Police said the former MP was believed to have been the subject of a “targeted attack” the day before he was found.
A 28-year-old British man was arrested on suspicion of murder. He is currently being questioned by detectives.
A hearing to launch the inquest into Ms Widdecombe’s death is scheduled for 10am on Tuesday at County Hall in Exeter.
Meanwhile, counter-terrorism police are investigating whether the suspect arrested in connection with Ms Widdecombe’s murder was motivated by left-wing extremism and was planning further violence.
Ms Widdecombe’s death has reignited debate over the level of protection offered to politicians.
Vulnerable MPs and public figures have also been advised to set up safe rooms in their homes in case of attack.
The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), an arm of MI5, has issued updated guidance to high-risk individuals, including MPs, local councilors and foreign dissidents, including advice to set up a “safer area” in which they can seek refuge if their homes are attacked by “hostile actors”.
Her advice emerged after Ms Widdecombe was murdered but was published online before her death.
Who was Ann Widdecombe?
Ms Widdecombe was MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years, from 1987 to 2010, and was secretary of state for prisons and employment in John Major’s government.
During his Commons career, he was known for his socially conservative views, including opposing the legality of abortion and expanding rights for the LGBTQ+ community.
He continued to run after leaving parliament Definitely Come Dance and also for a while Celebrity Big Brother.
Widdecombe returned to politics with the Brexit Party (later renamed Reform UK) in 2019, winning the seat in south-west England in the European Parliament elections.
He held the seat until the UK left the EU on 31 January 2020, and became Reform UK’s immigration and justice spokesperson from 2023 to 2026.
