Counter-terrorism officers investigating the killing of former British minister and Reform UK spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe have reportedly discovered communist literature and other politically themed material at the home of the main suspect, as detectives continue to investigate whether the attack was ideologically motivated.
The 28-year-old suspect was initially arrested on suspicion of murder before being rearrested under terrorism legislation after what police described as “new information and evidence” emerged during the investigation.
Counter Terrorism Policing South East has since taken over the case from Devon and Cornwall Police.
According to the Daily Mail, investigators found communist literature and other material reflecting “varying political ideology”, including Russian-related publications, during searches of the suspect’s home and electronic devices.
The newspaper reported that detectives are examining whether the material provides evidence of a political motive behind the killing.
Police have not publicly confirmed the nature of the literature or whether it is directly linked to the alleged attack.
Counter-terrorism officers have stressed that they are pursuing “multiple lines of enquiry” to establish the suspect’s motivation and have urged the public to avoid speculation while the investigation remains ongoing.
Widdecombe, 78, was found dead with serious injuries at her home in Devon on July 10, although investigators believe she was killed approximately a day earlier.
She served as a Conservative MP between 1987 and 2010, held ministerial office under John Major and later became one of Reform UK’s most prominent spokespeople on immigration and justice.
The decision to hand the investigation to counter-terrorism police marked a significant shift from the initial assessment by Devon and Cornwall Police, who had stated over the weekend that there was no indication the killing was politically motivated or terror-related.
The reversal prompted criticism from some politicians and commentators, who questioned why the possibility of ideological motivation had initially been dismissed.
Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman, said Farage had been vindicated after police upgraded the investigation to a terrorism inquiry.
Farage had earlier said he did not believe Widdecombe’s death was “a burglary that went wrong” and described it as “premeditated murder”, while urging police to investigate every line of inquiry.
Those comments drew criticism from opponents, who accused him of speculating before the facts were known.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told Parliament that the suspect was not previously known to the government’s Prevent counter-extremism programme and confirmed that security arrangements for current and former public figures were under review following the killing.
Police have said there is currently no evidence of a wider threat to the public.
The investigation has also prompted criticism of the police’s public communications.
While officers initially said there was no indication of terrorism or a political motive, they also disclosed the ethnicity of the suspect, information police do not always release in the immediate aftermath of serious crimes.
Critics accused the force of applying inconsistent standards in its handling of suspect descriptions and of reaching early conclusions that later proved premature after the case was transferred to counter-terrorism police.