Man charged with murder of Ann Widdecombe

A 28-year-old man has been charged with murdering Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman found dead at her Devon home, as counterterrorism officers continue to examine whether the killing had a political motive.

Joshua Kerry, from Rotherham in South Yorkshire, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, police and prosecutors said. The Crown Prosecution Service said he was charged on Monday.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead on Thursday, July 9, at her home in Haytor, Devon, after sustaining serious injuries. Al Jazeera reported that her home was near Dartmoor National Park and that she was found a day after missing a television interview. Police said she had been deliberately targeted, Al Jazeera reported, but they have not disclosed how she died beyond citing serious injuries.

Kerry was first arrested on suspicion of murder on July 11. On July 13, he was additionally arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism after evidence was uncovered while he was in custody, according to Al Jazeera.

Counter Terrorism Policing said “determining the motivation, including any possible political motivation” remains “an active avenue” of the investigation.

“I want to make it very clear that our investigation into [Kerry], determining his motivations and any wider activity he may have been involved in is continuing,” Laurence Taylor, head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said in a statement read outside New Scotland Yard.

“As with all murder investigations, understanding the ‘why’ is a key part of our enquiries,” Taylor said, describing the case as “a particularly intensive and complex investigation”.

Taylor said investigators are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. He said counterterrorism teams have gathered “a huge amount of information” over the past week, leading to more than 800 lines of enquiry. The investigation is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing South East, with support from Devon and Cornwall Police.

Frank Ferguson, of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime and counter terrorism division, said prosecutors had worked closely with police “to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court”.

“We will continue working with them as their investigation progresses,” he said. “We remind all concerned that proceedings against the defendant are 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 anyway prejudice these proceedings.”

Widdecombe’s political career spanned decades. She served as Conservative MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years and held ministerial posts in John Major’s government in the 1990s. After leaving the Commons, she appeared on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 and was runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother eight years later.

She later represented South West England as a Member of the European Parliament for the Brexit Party and joined Reform UK in 2023 as a party spokeswoman.

After her death, mourners gathered in Haytor Vale. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described Widdecombe as a “remarkable individual” and “the fiercest defender of free speech”. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called her a “very fun and feisty woman” and said her “heart is breaking for [Widdecombe’s] family”. Andy Burnham, who has since been appointed prime minister, said: “Ann gave a lifetime of public service.” Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said he was “shocked and distressed”, calling Widdecombe a “woman of deep faith who devoted her life to public service”.