A British Roman Catholic politician was found dead with serious injuries at her home on 9th July, prompting police to launch a murder investigation and renewing concerns about the safety and security of the country’s elected representatives.
Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative minister and Reform UK campaigner, who was received into the Roman Catholic Church following the Church of England’s decision to ordain women to the priesthood, has died at the age of 78.
Devon and Cornwall Police announced on Friday afternoon that a murder investigation had been launched. Later that evening, the force reported that a 26-year-old man had been arrested at an address in Newton Abbot on suspicion of murder. The suspect, described by police as a white British national, remained in police custody while enquiries continued.
On Saturday morning, however, police confirmed that the man had been released and was “no longer part of the investigation”. They added that the murder inquiry was “moving at a significant pace” as detectives continued their investigations.
Responding on Friday evening, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, who was attending the General Synod in York, said:
“I am deeply shocked and saddened by Ann Widdecombe’s death in such terrible circumstances. My prayers are with her family and friends at this traumatic time.”
Earlier on Friday, Devon and Cornwall Police announced that a murder investigation had been launched following the death of former MP Ann Widdecombe at her home on Dartmoor in Devon.
In a statement, the force said officers were called to the property by the ambulance service at approximately 11:40am on Thursday, 9th July, where Miss Widdecombe, aged 78, was found deceased. Police said she had sustained serious injuries.
The statement added:
“Detectives from the Force Major Crime Investigation Team have launched a murder investigation and are conducting extensive enquiries into the circumstances surrounding Miss Widdecombe’s death.”
Detective Chief Inspector Ilona Rosson said the investigation remained in its early stages but was progressing rapidly.
“Our murder enquiry is in its early stages but moving at a significant pace. We are deploying all of the necessary resources to establish exactly what has happened and to identify the person responsible.”
“I would appeal to anyone who may have information about this incident, however insignificant it may seem, to come forward and speak with us…
“We will release further information when we are able to do so. In the meantime I would ask people not to speculate about what might have happened, particularly on social media. This is not only potentially harmful to our investigation but also deeply distressing for family and friends of Ann Widdecombe.”
In a statement released on Friday morning, before police announced a murder investigation, Miss Widdecombe’s representatives, Cloud 9 Management, appealed for privacy for her family during this difficult time. They described her life and career as being “driven by her strong Christian values and commitment to public service.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury also paid tribute to her, describing her as a woman of “deep Christian faith, which drove her strong principles in a career spent as a committed public servant.” she added:
“As I give thanks for her service to our country, my prayers are with all those who are in shock and grief, and all who put themselves forward for public office.”
The Bishop of Plymouth, His Excellency Nicholas Hudson, ssued a short message after the death of Miss Widdecombe on 10th July:
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Ann Widdecombe at this distressing time. I will offer Mass for the repose of her soul tomorrow at noon at Buckfast Abbey.”
Ann Widdecombe was received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1993, following the General Synod’s approval of the Priests (Ordination of Women) Measure in November 1992. Her brother, Canon Malcolm Widdecombe (1937–2010), served as Vicar of St Philip and St Jacob, Bristol, and remained a lifelong Anglican.
Although born into an Evangelical family, Miss Widdecombe was educated at the Roman Catholic La Sainte Union Convent School in Bath. Reflecting on her journey of faith, she once said:
“I know the Evangelical position is that there is a given moment of conversion, but I think Christianity can be something that develops… it’s far more subtle.”
She later studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where, as a lifelong social conservative, she joined the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC). During her time at Oxford, she served as Secretary of the Oxford Union in 1971 and Treasurer in 1972.
Miss Widdecombe represented Maidstone in Kent as a Conservative Member of Parliament for 23 years, serving from 1987 until 2010. Between 1994 and 1997, she served as a minister in Sir John Major’s government, holding portfolios in the Home Office and the Department for Employment. She became well known for her outspoken political style, including her memorable remark that then Home Secretary Michael Howard had “something of the night about him.”
Beyond politics, Miss Widdecombe became a familiar face to television audiences, appearing on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing and later on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, introducing her to a new generation of viewers.
