Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has revealed he pressed his panic button during a threatening encounter with a member of the public months before the murder of Ann Widdecombe, warning that he feared an MP might die.
Tice's Chilling Warning
Speaking to BBC Newsnight on July 13, Tice described an incident that occurred just before Christmas 2025 as he was leaving the Parliamentary estate. “I had to press my panic button the day before Christmas when I had a very difficult situation just leaving the gates. That gentleman appeared in court just last Friday (July 9),” he said.
Tice added that he had raised concerns with the Speaker in early January, including in a letter, stating: “I said I feared something terrible, potentially fatal, might happen.” He praised the Speaker’s determination to improve safety but noted that “under him, we have found failures, we have found wantings. The moment you leave that enormous new gate, we are more at risk than ever.”
Widdecombe Murder Investigation
Ann Widdecombe, a former Conservative MP and later Reform UK politician, was found dead with serious injuries at her home in Devon on Thursday, July 9. Devon and Cornwall Police launched a murder investigation, leading to the arrest of a 28-year-old man in Rotherham on July 11. The case has since been taken over by Counter Terrorism Police, who re-arrested the suspect on suspicion of preparation, commission or instigation of acts of terrorism.
Rising Threats to MPs
Tice highlighted a growing trend he calls “WAFY” – where bloggers and freelance journalists “walk, they abuse, they film and they intimidate” politicians. He said this is “very, very close to you; it's not an offence, it's very intimidating, and it's within inches of something worse.” He added that the situation has deteriorated significantly over the past six to 12 months, making the quarter-mile radius outside the Parliamentary fence “more dangerous than it's ever been.”
Public Reaction
Viewers responded to Tice’s comments on X (formerly Twitter), with one user stating: “All MPs and high-profile political figures should have protection. That is what should come from this. It is not just a loss of life; it is an attack on our democracy. It's expensive to do that, but that is what is required now.” Another wrote: “Being an MP must be terrifying tbh.”
