{"id":81351,"date":"2026-07-11T23:52:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T23:52:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/81351\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T23:52:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T23:52:08","slug":"uk-police-arrest-28-year-old-man-on-suspicion-of-murdering-ex-mp-ann-widdecombe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/81351\/","title":{"rendered":"UK police arrest 28-year-old man on suspicion of murdering ex-MP Ann Widdecombe"},"content":{"rendered":"

UK police say they have arrested a 28-year-old man in relation to the alleged murder of Ann Widdecombe.<\/p>\n

The suspect is a white British national and is now in custody after being arrested in South Yorkshire, the police statement said.<\/p>\n

In another significant update, police earlier said they now believe Ms Widdecombe, 78, was murdered about 11:30am (local time) on Wednesday, about 24 hours before her body was found.<\/p>\n

However, they continued to say there was no information to suggest the case was related to terrorism or had a political motive.<\/p>\n

\"Five<\/p>\n

Police officers investigate countryside near the home of former MP Ann Widdecombe. (Reuters: Jack Taylor)<\/p>\n

The announcement of the new arrest came less than 24 hours after police released a 26-year-old man<\/a> they had previously detained in relation to the former MP’s death.<\/p>\n

The 26-year-old is no longer part of their investigation, police said.<\/p>\n

Ms Widdecombe, a long-time Conservative politician turned Reform UK supporter, was found dead in her residence in Devon<\/a> with serious injuries on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Police announced they were conducting a murder investigation shortly afterwards.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Police outside the house of former MP Ann Widdecombe in Devon on Friday. (PA via AP Photo: Matt Keeble)<\/p>\n

The case has shocked Britain’s political establishment, with leaders from all sides of politics calling for differences to be put aside out of respect for Ms Widdecombe and her family, and for the condemnation of political violence.<\/p>\n

Two serving British members of parliament have been murdered over the past decade.<\/p>\n

Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed by a white supremacist during the Brexit campaign in 2016, while Conservative MP David Amess was stabbed to death in 2021 by a man professing allegiance to the Islamic State militant group.<\/p>\n

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