An emotional LBC caller broke down in tears during a phone-in about the murder of former Conservative MP and Brexit Party MEP Ann Widdecombe, describing the killing as a 'soul-chilling event' and calling for an end to political violence from both sides of the spectrum.
Caller's Emotional Plea on LBC
Pamela, a caller to Shelagh Fogarty's show, said through tears: 'I was not a fan of Ann Widdecombe, so I will be completely honest. However, what has happened to that woman is beyond description.' She continued: 'It is the most horrific, soul-chilling event, I think I have ever experienced in my lifetime, and this has to stop. It has to stop from the left and the right. Because it's one of their own does not make them blameless.'
Shelagh Fogarty responded: 'I hear you, Pamela, and I hear your distress, and I'm not glad that you're distressed, but I'm glad that we can still be this distressed about such a killing. It's all about a deep intolerance.'
Murder Investigation Turns to Counter-Terrorism
Ann Widdecombe was killed in her home last week. The case initially shocked the nation, but horror deepened when Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed it had become a murder investigation. A 38-year-old white male was rearrested after the case was handed over to counter-terrorism police.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, told a press conference the killing was a 'targeted attack' but would not confirm if it was politically motivated. 'I don't want to rule out anything,' he said, adding that detectives are 'working through what the motivation for the attack currently is.' He declined to comment on whether a foreign state was involved or if other politicians were potential targets.
Political Background and Reactions
Widdecombe served as a Conservative MP for 55 years before being elected as an MEP for Nigel Farage's Brexit Party in 2019, then joining Reform UK in 2023. The caller Pamela suggested politics played a part in the murder, echoing wider public concern about the atmosphere of political violence.
Laurence Taylor stated that the counter-terrorism investigation is 'running in parallel to the murder investigation' and that they are 'investigating terrorism offences.' However, he stressed that the suspected murder 'has not been declared a terrorist incident' at this stage. He would not comment on whether the suspect potentially committed terrorism offences separate from the alleged murder.
