British police on Friday opened a murder investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe, a staunch right-wing politician who found new fame after she left Parliament and appeared on popular TV shows, including the British equivalent of “Dancing With The Stars.”
In a statement, the police said they were called to an address in Haytor, in Devon, southwest England, by the ambulance service on Thursday, where Ms. Widdecombe, 78, was found dead having “sustained serious injuries.”
“This is an extremely tragic incident and our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of Ann Widdecombe at this difficult time,” said Ilona Rosson, a detective chief inspector at Devon and Cornwall police.
“Our murder inquiry 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 and to locate the person responsible who we believe to be a white male,” the statement added.
The news sent shock waves through British politics and the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said she was “deeply saddened” to hear of Ms. Widdecombe’s death. “The circumstances of her death are extremely distressing and my thoughts are with Ann’s family and loved ones,” she wrote on social media.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the development as “really shocking news,” urged people to “rise above any political differences,” and did not speculate about whether the apparent attack might have been politically motivated.
Ms. Widdecombe served in the British Parliament for more than 20 years, until her retirement in 2010, and was a government minister in the 1990s under the Conservative prime minister John Major.
After Britain voted by a narrow majority to quit the European Union in a 2016 referendum, Ms. Widdecombe joined the Brexit Party, led by Nigel Farage, and represented it as a member of the European Parliament from 2019 to 2020. When the party changed its name to Reform U.K., she became a frequent spokeswoman for the party.
In 2010, she took part in “Strictly Come Dancing,” the dancing contest, and appeared on “Celebrity Big Brother,” a reality show, in 2018.
While she may have lacked finesse on the dance floor Ms. Widdecombe won over many Britons through her self-deprecating approach and willingness to entertain viewers with comedic performances.
As a lawmaker in the 1990s, Ms. Widdecombe had a reputation as a committed conservative and a forthright politician who spoke her mind. She converted to Roman Catholicism in the early 1990s and took a strong interest in moral issues taking strongly conservative views.
During that period she fell out with her boss, the then home secretary, Michael Howard, over his sacking of the prison service director Derek Lewis in 1995. She accused Mr. Howard of having “something of the night” in his personality — a phrase that stuck and set back his political advance.
The police on Friday said that a cordon was in place at the property where Ms. Widdecombe’s body was found, while specialist officers continued forensic examinations. They also appealed for any witnesses who had seen unusual activity to come forward.
“We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in the vicinity of Haytor Vale, Haytor, or anyone with CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage which could assist with our investigation,” the police statement said, while appealing to the public not to speculate on social media about what might have happened.
