Man Accused of Murdering Widdecombe Charged with Terror Plot on Farage
by Kurt Zindulka · BreitbartThe alleged assassin of former Conservative government minister Ann Widdecombe has been charged with concocting a terror plot against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, Crown Prosecutors have announced.
Joshua Kerry, 28, who faces trial for the murder of Ann Widdecombe at her Devon home in July, will also face a separate trial over allegedly preparing for acts of terrorism, including against Brexit boss Nigel Farage. According to the Times of London, the plot took place between May 31 of 2024 and July 8 of this year.
Chief prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime and counterterrorism division, Frank Ferguson, said: “Having carefully reviewed the evidence, we have made the decision to prosecute Joshua Kerry for engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts.
“Our prosecutors have worked closely with police to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and we will continue working with them as their investigation progresses.
“We remind all concerned that proceedings against Joshua Kerry remain active and he has the right to a fair trial. It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Deputy Assistant Commissioner at the Metropolitan police and senior national co-ordinator for counter-terrorism policing, Vicki Evans, added: “We have been running a hugely intensive and complex investigation for some time. The charge announced today is a result of the tireless work of investigators across the counterterrorism policing network.
“This investigation has been led by a dedicated team of detectives, analysts and forensic experts, working on multiple lines of inquiry, which has resulted in this very serious charge.”
Kerry is set to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. He is currently remanded in custody while a separate case is conducted into the murder of Ann Widdecombe, who served as a government minister during the Major government in the 1990s before becoming a Brexit Party MEP, and finally a spokeswoman for Reform UK. The trial is set to commence in June of next year.
The issue of Mr Farage’s security has become a major political talking point in recent months after it had emerged that the Reform UK leader had received a personal gift from mega donor Christopher Harborne to pay for a security detail.
The £5 million gift to Farage was given in 2024, when the Brexit leader had retired from politics and before Rishi Sunak’s call for a snap election prompted his return, and thus he did not disclose it to parliamentary watchdogs as he considered himself a private citizen at the time, free to receive any amount of money from a friend.
However, Labour and Conservative lawmakers argued that the donation should have been disclosed and that the failure to do so may have constituted a breach of parliamentary ethics codes. Mr Farage then resigned from Parliament and stood in a by-election, saying he would put his political fate in the hands of his constituents in Clacton.
On Saturday, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice accused the government of not taking concerns raised about the safety of Farage and others in the party seriously.
Noting that the Brexiteer had brought up security risks for years, there was a sense that “he’s not being believed, not being listened to, and you know we have just got in a sense deep regret over everything that’s happened over a long period of time.”
While Parliament cut Mr Farage’s security funding last year, Tice said that in recent weeks there has been a “significant shift in the approach taken by the authorities, and we appreciate that.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “I know the new charges made today will be extremely concerning. My profound sympathies are with Nigel Farage and his family. Let no one make any mistake: an attack on anyone in politics is an attack on us all. This case raises serious questions about the security of those in public life. We must use this as an opportunity to reset. Once parliament returns, I will update on our work to strengthen protections for those who choose to serve.”