Devon and Cornwall Police have come under fire after counterterrorism officers took over the investigation into the killing of former British minister Ann Widdecombe, just days after the force repeatedly played down suggestions that politics or terrorism were involved.
The abrupt change came on Monday after Counter Terrorism Policing announced that “new information and evidence” had emerged, prompting officers to take over the investigation and re-arrest the main suspect under terrorism legislation.
A 28-year-old white British man from Rotherham, in northern England, who had initially been arrested on suspicion of murder, is now being held on suspicion of the commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism.
The reversal has prompted questions over the force’s handling of the investigation after senior officers spent several days publicly dismissing suggestions that Widdecombe may have been targeted because of her outspoken political views.
Jonathan Hall KC, the British government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said he was “surprised” that Devon and Cornwall Police appeared to discourage speculation that the killing may have had a political motive.
“I don’t understand why Devon and Cornwall Police were steering the public away from the idea that this was a terrorist case,” Hall said, adding that the force had “probably broken one of the golden rules of investigations” by commenting too definitively on a live inquiry instead of simply saying investigators were keeping an open mind.
The criticism centres on a series of statements issued after Widdecombe’s body was discovered at her home in the county of Devon in southwest England.
At a press conference on Friday, Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said the incident was “not being treated as terrorism” and added that he had “no information to believe that it is a politically motivated crime.” Similar assurances were repeated over the weekend before the investigation took a dramatic new direction.
Counter Terrorism Policing South East said the case changed after detectives uncovered fresh evidence.
“We now have new information and evidence that means Counter Terrorism Policing is leading the investigation,” said Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing. “We are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for this attack.”
According to British media reports, detectives searching the suspect’s home discovered material relating to far-left political ideology. Investigators are now examining whether Widdecombe was deliberately targeted because of her prominent role in Reform UK and her outspoken views on immigration, abortion, and gay rights.
The Daily Mail reported that officers recovered Communist literature linked to Russia, along with other ideological material, from the suspect’s home and electronic devices. Detectives are also investigating whether a self-radicalised ‘lone wolf’ deliberately chose Widdecombe because, unlike Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, she did not have personal security protection. The newspaper added that investigators have found no evidence of hostile Russian state involvement.
The suspect, who lived alone with his dog in Rotherham, was arrested on Saturday after investigators concluded he had travelled around 300 miles (480 kilometres) to Widdecombe’s home. CCTV footage appears to show him leaving his house carrying what looked like a wooden pole or stick before driving away.
The police’s reversal has also strengthened Reform UK leaders’ claims that investigators were too quick to dismiss a political motive.
Farage had warned that the killing could have been premeditated, while senior Reform UK figures accused police of trying to ‘gaslight’ the public by discouraging discussion of the suspect’s possible motives. After Monday’s announcement, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice demanded an apology from those who had accused the party of exploiting Widdecombe’s death, while party board member Gawain Towler said the police’s handling of the investigation had further damaged already fragile public trust.
Britain’s home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, confirmed that the suspect was not known to the government’s Prevent anti-extremism programme. Mahmood also offered Farage a meeting with the committee responsible for protecting people in public life and said the government would review what security guidance should be available to former MPs.
Questions have also been raised about the police’s handling of the case in the crucial hours after Widdecombe’s death. According to The Telegraph, officers initially withheld the fact they were investigating a suspected murder while tributes poured in following the announcement of her death, before later confirming that she had suffered serious injuries but continuing to play down suggestions that politics or terrorism could have been factors.
