A 26-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murdering former MP and MEP Ann Widdecombe has been released from custody and is no longer part of the murder inquiry, Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed on Saturday.
Arrest and release
The man was arrested on Friday, a day after Miss Widdecombe's body was discovered at her home in Haytor, Dartmoor. Police said he has been released and is no longer a suspect in the case.
Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said: "Our priority remains identifying those responsible and ensuring that all available evidence is thoroughly examined. Detectives continue to carry out numerous enquiries as part of the ongoing investigation and we remain committed to establishing the full circumstances surrounding the incident."
Investigation details
Miss Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home on Thursday with serious injuries. Police have stated that her death is "not being treated as terrorism" and there is currently "no information" to indicate it was a "politically-motivated crime".
Longman described the investigation as "moving at a significant pace", adding: "We are deploying all of the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened." He appealed for anyone with information to come forward, urging people not to speculate on social media, which he said could be "potentially harmful to our investigation but also deeply distressing for family and friends of Miss Widdecombe".
Political reaction
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described the death and murder inquiry as a "terrible reflection on modern Britain". In a video message, he said: "And I do fear that for anybody in public life, or especially the political space, things have become even more dangerous today."
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called for unity across political divisions, revealing he had spoken with his likely successor Andy Burnham, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, and Mr Farage to "urge everybody to come together at a moment like this".
Conservative leader Mrs Badenoch said she "really struggled to find the words to say" following Miss Widdecombe's death. "I don't understand how someone could do something so horrific to an elderly person. It was a nasty, horrific attack and my heart is breaking for her family," she added.
Background on Ann Widdecombe
Miss Widdecombe served as a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010, representing Maidstone and later Maidstone and the Weald. She held ministerial roles under Sir John Major. After her parliamentary career, she appeared on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, dancing with Anton du Beke and reaching the semi-finals.
She joined Nigel Farage's Brexit Party in 2019 and served as an MEP for South West England until 2020. She later became a spokeswoman for Reform UK on immigration and justice. Miss Widdecombe maintained a prominent media presence, appearing on TalkTV on Wednesday, just one day before her body was discovered.
She had been scheduled to appear on Channel 5's Matt Allwright show on Wednesday afternoon but failed to attend, according to ITV. A researcher from the programme had been in communication with her, but she became unresponsive when they attempted a Zoom call. Attempts to contact her via calls and texts after the broadcast went unanswered, and the production team contacted her agent on Wednesday and again on Thursday.
Devon and Cornwall Police have set up a Major Incident Public Portal for information, images or footage to be submitted. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers.
