A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead at her home in Dartmoor with serious injuries. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the arrest and launched a murder investigation after the suspicious death of the 78-year-old.
Widdecombe's Previous Comments on Death Threats
In the months before her death, Widdecombe spoke about receiving death threats but said she did not take them seriously. In an interview last October, she said: "I remember I used to get death threats from time to time. We all did. And my staff would say, shall we tell the police? And I'd say, put it in the bin. Because if the IRA are going to do it, they're not going to tell you in advance, they're just going to do it."
She added: "As they did with Airey Neave. You know, they just do it. So I just said, put it in the bin. And I still take that attitude. I do know that we're in a slightly different world. I do know that. But I think it's crucial that MPs and their constituents intermingle freely."
Widdecombe's Stance on MP Safety
Widdecombe insisted that no MP should ever be scared to walk around their town or be afraid in their home. She referred to her former colleague Sir David Amess, who was murdered in 2021. She said: "David Amess, who was one of the MPs who was murdered, was my best friend in Parliament. I knew him terribly well, and his family, of course. And I know, and I said this to his widow, who agreed with me, that he would never want his death used as a reason to distance MPs from their constituents."
She continued: "His belief, and it is still my belief, that an MP should be able to walk through the town on a Saturday afternoon, talk to their constituents. Absolutely. So I feel very strongly about that. In my day, it wasn't fundamentalist Islam. In my day, it was the IRA. And I suppose I had a slightly faithless attitude."
CCTV Footage May Hold Clues
Widdecombe also confirmed in the same interview that she had CCTV cameras at her home. When asked about her garden gnome collection and security, she said: "I've never gone in for the big gates and the electronics and all that nonsense. So, no, I mean, anybody could come in and steal a gnome. I would pick them up on my cameras so if anybody wants to steal a gnome they'd better mask up."
The CCTV footage is now likely to be examined by police as part of their investigation into her death.
Police Investigation Underway
Widdecombe's management announced her death on Friday morning, but did not disclose where, when, or how she died. Devon and Cornwall Police later confirmed that a murder investigation had been launched following the suspicious death at her home in Dartmoor. A 26-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident.
