“It is clear that this was a targeted attack. We are still working to understand the extent of any planning or preparation and the motivation that sits behind that attack,” stated Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of Britain’s counter-terrorism policing.
Taylor refrained from speculating on the attacker’s motive, saying: “It is a complex investigation. It would be wrong for me to try and ascribe either an ideology (to the attacker) or what that motivation might be at this stage.”
On Saturday, local police apprehended a white British man on suspicion of Widdecombe’s murder. Following the involvement of counter-terrorism officers on Monday, he was rearrested on suspicion of committing, preparing, or instigating acts of terrorism.
Taylor mentioned that a terrorism investigation is being conducted alongside the murder investigation.
Widdecombe, aged 78, was discovered dead at her residence in rural southwest England on Thursday, with police reporting “serious injuries.” She was a notable figure in Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK.
Widdecombe was recognized for her socially conservative positions, initially serving as a junior minister in Conservative Prime Minister John Major’s government from 1992 to 1997, and later as an immigration and justice spokesperson for Reform UK. She retired from parliament in 2010.
The incident has heightened concerns regarding the safety of politicians in the UK, following the murders of two serving British members of parliament in the past decade.
Inquiries were made to Taylor about whether the suspect had targeted other Reform politicians, but he did not provide a direct response.
“Clearly, part of our responsibility when investigating offences of this nature is to assure ourselves and therefore the public and others of any extant threat,” Taylor explained.
“That will form a line of investigation to ensure that we are putting all appropriate measures in place to mitigate any threat should it become apparent. I am not saying there is or there isn’t … but of course that will be a line of inquiry.”
