UK politician Ann Widdecombe beaten to death in own home

British politician and novelist Ann Widdecombe, a former minister of prisons known for her dogmatic conservative views, was found dead Thursday at her home in Devon, England. Long out of parliament and 78 years old, it was initially assumed she had died naturally, but it soon emerged she was beaten to death and that police had arrested a 26 year-old man on suspicion of her murder.

Devon and Cornwall Police say a white British male is in custody after the 78-year-old was found at her home on Thursday with serious injuries. The incident is not being treated as terrorism and there is "no information" to suggest it was politically motivated, they add

It is "too early to comment on whether the suspect was known to Widdecombe," police added. She lived near the edge of Devon's remote Dartmoor National Park, outside the rural village of Haytor. Outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggested to those commentating that now was a good moment to "rise above any political differences."

A member of the Conservative party throughout her time in the Commons, she switched to the Brexit Party in 2019, served as Minister of the European Parliament for South West England intil 2020, and joined Nigel Farage's Reform UK party in 2023.