Police launch murder inquiry into Ann Widdecombe death

Police have launched a murder investigation after Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman, was found dead with serious injuries at her home on Dartmoor in southwest England.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the 78-year-old was discovered Thursday morning at her home in Haytor, a village on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, after officers were called by the ambulance service at about 11:40 BST. On Friday, police said they were seeking a suspect they believe to be a White male and appealed for information from the public.

Officers said the investigation was “moving at a significant pace” and asked to hear from “anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the vicinity of Haytor Vale, Haytor, or anyone with CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage which could assist with our investigation.” Extra uniformed officers were being sent to the area to help with inquiries and reassure residents.

Det. Ch. Insp. Ilona Rosson said: “This is an extremely tragic incident and our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of Ann Widdecombe at this difficult time. I would appeal to anyone who may have information about this incident, however insignificant it may seem, to come forward and speak with us.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the suspect as “clearly dangerous” and urged anyone with information to help police “get him into police custody,” the BBC reported. Asked whether there was evidence Widdecombe’s death was politically motivated, Starmer said he would not speculate. He said Britons should “rise above any political differences” and said he had spoken to House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, Reform UK’s Nigel Farage and Andy Burnham “to urge everybody to come together.”

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood urged the public “to avoid speculation and allow the police investigation to progress.” In a post on X, she called the circumstances of Widdecombe’s death “extremely distressing” and said her “thoughts are with Ann’s family and loved ones.” A spokesperson for the coroner’s office for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay said “preliminary inquiries are ongoing.”

Widdecombe’s management team announced her death Friday morning, initially without details about when, how or where she died. After police announced the murder inquiry, the team said it was “absolutely devastated” by the investigation “following a very traumatic and upsetting 24 hours.”

“We know this news will come as a great shock to the many colleagues and friends she made along the way,” the team said. Cloud9 Management said Widdecombe’s life and career were driven by strong Christian values and public service. “She loved the cut and thrust of political debate and, 16 years after leaving Parliament, was still actively campaigning for Reform UK and offering forthright views on the hot topics of the day,” it said.

Widdecombe served in the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010, representing Maidstone in Kent for 23 years. She was a Home Office and employment minister in John Major’s government from 1994 to 1997 and was known for socially conservative views opposing abortion rights and the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights.

After leaving Parliament, she became widely known through appearances on “Strictly Come Dancing” in 2010 and “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2018. Her “Strictly” dance partner, Anton Du Beke, called her death the “saddest of news” and said, “We had an incredible time together.”

A supporter of the U.K.’s departure from the European Union, Widdecombe later became an MEP for the Brexit Party, representing South West England in the European Parliament from 2019 to 2020. In 2023, she joined Reform UK and appeared as the party’s immigration and justice spokesperson.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson called her a “heroic Brexiteer and a great speaker who could move Tory audiences to such ecstasy that she was a very hard act to follow.” Badenoch said she was “stunned,” describing Widdecombe as “a very fun and feisty woman who spoke her mind.”

Widdecombe was born in Bath, Somerset, in 1947 and studied Latin at Birmingham University, then philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University. She told the BBC in 2008 that she had spent time in Dartmoor National Park as a child, named her home Widdecombe’s Rest and planned to spend the rest of her life there.