london —
British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmoud said on Monday that British counter-terrorism police are now leading an investigation into the alleged murder of former British lawmaker Anne Widecombe “based on new information and evidence”.
Police previously said there was no information to suggest Mr Widecombe’s killing was an act of terrorism or politically motivated.
“Police are conducting multiple investigations to determine the motive for this attack,” Mahmoud said in the update, adding that he would brief MPs in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon.
The former MP was found dead at his home in Haytor, Devon, western England, on Thursday. Police said they believe Widecombe died the day before her body was discovered. Assistant Detective Sergeant Matt Longman said in a statement last week that she suffered “serious injuries.”
On Saturday, police arrested a 28-year-old man hundreds of miles away in South Yorkshire, England, on suspicion of murder.
“The suspect is a white British national and is currently in police custody,” Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement. “We were assisted by North East Counter Terrorism Police and South Yorkshire Police, who carried out the arrests on behalf of Devon and Cornwall Police.”
Mr Widecombe, 78, was a former Conservative Party MP, government minister and regular on British television. In 2019, she was elected to the European Parliament as a member of Nigel Farage’s right-wing Brexit Party. After the UK formally left the EU, she served as immigration spokesperson for Reform UK, the successor organization to the Leave Party.
Mr Farage released a statement on Friday paying tribute to Mr Widecombe, saying he had “dedicated his life to public service”.
Across the political divide, many British politicians expressed their condolences. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer last week described her death as a “grave loss” and said it was an important moment “to transcend all political differences”.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
