Ann Widdecombe ended a newly-revealed interview defending Nigel Farage just minutes before she died, it has emerged. The former Cabinet Minister, 78, recorded the ten-minute pre-recorded interview with Christian radio station TWR-UK via Zoom last Wednesday. It began at 11:54am and ended at around 12:10pm — just 20 minutes before police believe she was killed.
Defending Farage
In the interview, Widdecombe defended Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who is facing a probe by the Standards Committee over a £5 million payment from a Thai-based crypto billionaire. She claimed he was a victim of "the politics of personal destruction." She said: "He probably thinks, where is this going to end? Let's bring an end to it, let's bring this to a head, let's put it to the people to see what they think of all of this. There has been a game now for a very long time, a game of personal destruction, not just for Nigel, for lots and lots of politicians that face this."
She added: "What Clinton once described as the politics of personal destruction. And I think that another thing is, and Nigel is going to be saying, well, don't always expect people just to writhe in your foils, they may actually turn on you. and I'm now setting the example of that and leading the way."
Interviewer's Account
The interviewer, broadcaster James Maidment Fullard, has contacted police about the tape, but they have not asked to see or hear it. He said: "When I spoke to her off-air, she was always incredibly kind and compassionate. And just before I pressed record on that interview that you've just heard a clip from, she asked me how my family was. And that part of her character just gave me the impression that she cared deeply about whoever it was that she was speaking to."
He added: "She was robust. She was lively. She knew her topic incredibly well. And on top of all that, she was able to express her opinion in a way that just made her really compelling to listen to. When she was live, she was a passionate interviewee."
Timeline of Death
Widdecombe was found dead in her kitchen on Thursday, 24 hours after she died at around 12:30pm having sustained serious injuries in her isolated cottage in Haytor, Devon, where she lived with her cat. Police believe she died just 30 minutes before she was set to appear on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show via video call. She last messaged a producer at 12:19pm but failed to respond to a text at 12:48pm.
Terrorism Investigation
Detectives are questioning a 28-year-old White British man, who cannot be named, on suspicion of Widdecombe's murder. He was arrested at his home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, some 270 miles from her home. Counter-terrorism police are now leading the probe after discovering "new information and evidence." On Monday, the suspect was re-arrested on suspicion of "commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism," Counter Terrorism Policing South East said. This allows police to hold him without charge for up to 14 days under the Terrorism Act.
Detectives have been examining CCTV that appears to show the man putting a wooden stick in the back of a filthy, moss-covered red Vauxhall Corsa on the day police believe Widdecombe was killed. Neighbours have described him as a loner who became increasingly reclusive after the death of his father last December.
