UK police release man arrested on suspicion of killing former minister Widdecombe

A 26-year-old man arrested on suspicion of the murder of former British government minister Ann Widdecombe has been released and is no longer part of the investigation, police said on Saturday.

“Our priority remains identifying those responsible and ensuring that all available evidence is thoroughly examined,” Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said in a statement released by Devon and Cornwall police.

“Our murder enquiry is in its early stages but moving at a significant pace. We are deploying all of the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened,” he added.

Ambulance workers called police to Widdecombe’s home in rural southwest England on Thursday, where she had been found dead after suffering serious injuries, police said.

Devon and Cornwall police assistant chief constable Matt Longman said there was no information to suggest the murder was related to terrorism or had a political motive.

Widdecombe was well known for her socially conservative views, first as a junior minister in Conservative Prime Minister John Major’s 1992-1997 government and later as an immigration and justice spokesperson for Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK.

Police said officers were called to Widdecombe’s home shortly after midday on Thursday, where she was found dead.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute to “Ann’s dedication during her many years of public service.”

Two serving British members of parliament have been murdered in the last decade.

The Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed by a Nazi-obsessed loner during the Brexit campaign in 2016. The Conservative lawmaker David Amess was stabbed to death in 2021 by a man inspired by the militant group, Islamic State.

Widdecombe known for socially conservative views

Throughout her political career, Widdecombe was known for her socially conservative views, including opposition to abortion and to equalizing the age of consent for homosexual and heterosexual relationships.

She also defended a policy of shackling pregnant prisoners during child birth to prevent their escape.

Although unmarried and a self-proclaimed virgin, the Catholic convert praised family values.

After leaving parliament, she appeared on the TV talent show “Strictly Come Dancing” in 2010. Despite her awkward dancing style and criticism from the judges, she was popular with viewers.

She later joined Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party and served as a member of the European Parliament between 2019 and 2020. Her most recent post was as immigration spokesperson for Reform UK, the rebranded Brexit Party, which leads in most opinion polls.

Following the announcement of her death, and before details of the murder inquiry were announced, former colleagues from both the Conservative and Reform UK parties paid tribute to her.

Former Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson described her in a post on X as “a heroic Brexiteer and a great speaker who could move Tory audiences to such ecstasy that she was a very hard act to follow.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Some information for this report was gathered via edition.cnn.com.