Reform MPs given 24-hour protection after murder of Ann Widdecombe as party leaders fear copycat attack and police hunt killer

By GLEN OWENS and ABUL TAHER and IAN GALLAGHER Published: 21:48, 11 July 2026 | Updated: 21:51, 11 July 2026 Senior Reform UK politicians are receiving round-the-clock protection after the murder of Ann Widdecombe, The Mail on Sunday has learned. With the killer of the ex-Tory minister turned Reform justice spokeswoman still at large, other party figures are living in fear of a potential copycat attack. Ms Widdecombe, 78, was battered to death on Wednesday, and although her remote Dartmoor home was ‘highly fortified’ with ‘security cameras everywhere’ her killer may have slipped inside through a door left open because of the warm weather, the MoS can reveal. It is thought the politician was killed at 12.30pm, half an hour before she was scheduled to appear on Matt Allwright’s Channel 5 programme via Zoom. Last night it emerged that production staff on the show – who last heard from Ms Widdecombe at 12.19pm – waited seven hours before telling her agents she had failed to appear and stopped answering messages.  It is the early stages of an investigation – the ‘golden hours’– that are critical for gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses. Senior Reform UK politicians are receiving round-the-clock protection after the murder of Ann Widdecombe (pictured in 2013), The Mail on Sunday has learned Leader of the Reform UK party Nigel Farage arrived at the scene yesterday to lay flowers In other developments in the crime that has shocked the nation, it has emerged that:  As Mr Farage arrived at the scene yesterday to lay flowers, party sources told the MoS they were doing ‘everything we can to keep our people safe’.  It is understood that this involves 24-hour protection for the party’s eight MPs plus home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf. Scotland Yard is believed to be carrying out its own assessment of the protection required for Reform politicians. A Reform UK source said: ‘As things stand, we don’t know if it was politically motivated or a robbery entirely unconnected with Ann’s political beliefs. But it stands to reason that Reform politicians run a particularly high risk.’ In addition, sources close to Robert Jenrick, Reform’s Treasury spokesman, said he had recently raised concerns about being ‘plagued’ by a stalker who harassed him continuously. Nadine Dorries, a former Tory culture secretary who defected to Reform last autumn, said that in the wake of Ms Widdecombe’s murder, she was moving out of her cottage in the countryside. Writing in today’s MoS, Ms Dorries says: ‘This is the first time in the 25 years since I first stepped into public life that I feel genuinely scared. Knowing that Ann died in horrific circumstances – possibly murdered for the principled political views she held – has only deepened the state of fear that those of us who dare to be in Right-of-centre politics feel today.’ Flower tributes lie next to a portrait of the 78-year-old former government minister after she was found dead Police were today carrying out fingertip searches near Ms Widdecombe's home Ms Widdecombe became a Brexit Party MEP and later a Reform UK supporter  A highly placed source told the MoS last night that Ms Widdecombe’s family ‘don’t want her death hijacked for political purposes’, adding that they ‘are very uneasy’ about Mr Farage being at the scene. Sources said Ms Widdecombe’s bungalow was equipped with a high level of security, reflecting the fact ‘she was an old lady living alone in a remote area’.  One said: ‘You couldn’t move for the cameras. It is a shocking irony that it’s thought she left the door open.’ Like many politicians, she received death threats and hate mail. One source said the worst of it came from campaigners angered by her opposition to abortion. Mr Farage said yesterday: ‘One theory doing the rounds is that it was a burglary gone wrong. But a car went onto the drive at approximately 12.25pm on Wednesday. ‘If you were a burglar, would you literally drive your car onto someone’s drive? From what I can see of it, from what I make out, this was premeditated murder. ‘Whether it was politically motivated, whether it was someone with a grudge. I don’t think it pays at this time to speculate.’ The MoS put Mr Farage’s claims about the car to Devon and Cornwall Police yesterday, but they did not respond. They earlier revealed that Ms Widdecombe had sustained severe blunt trauma wounds to her head. Mr Farage held an impromptu press conference outside Ms Widdecombe's home after her death (pictured together in 2019) Like many politicians, Ms Widdecombe received death threats and hate mail. One source said the worst of it came from campaigners angered by her opposition to abortion (police outside her home in Dartmoor) Speaking of the ‘violent, barbaric manner of her death’, Mr Farage compared Ms Widdecombe’s killing to the unsolved 1999 murder of BBC reporter Jill Dando. ‘Whatever the motives... let’s just hope and pray this is not a Jill Dando-type case where they don’t find a person. I believe with modern technology they will,’ he said. ‘What it does say is that people now in public life, especially politics, the world is very much more dangerous than it’s ever been.  'We will do anything we can to support the police. I’ve had our security teams going through our emails to pick out ones that were directly to Ann or were abusive about Ann.’ Mr Farage’s intervention came hours after police revealed that a 26-year-old man arrested as a suspect had been released with no further action to be taken against him. Assistant chief constable Matt Longman said last night: ‘Officers are making progress and are pursuing a number of lines of enquiry. ‘At this time we have made the active decision not to release further information, including descriptions of any potential suspects or releasing CCTV footage. ‘Releasing such information prematurely could compromise ongoing enquiries and may prejudice future investigative opportunities.’ Nick Candy, a Reform donor, told the MoS that the abuse Mr Farage received should be taken more seriously. He said: ‘You do not have to have been assassinated before concerns about your safety deserve to be taken seriously. ‘Political violence does not begin with murder. It begins with harassment, intimidation, objects thrown from crowds and threats. Above all, it begins when people decide that, because they dislike someone’s politics, ordinary standards of behaviour no longer apply.’ Ms Widdecombe appeared on Talk TV on Wednesday just days before her death Production staff at ITN waited seven hours before telling Ann Widdecombe’s agents that they had lost contact with her, The Mail on Sunday understands.  Ms Widdecombe was due to appear on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show at 1pm on Wednesday and she last sent a message to a programme researcher at 12.19pm. But the MoS has learned that ITN, the company that produces the show, only sent an email to Ms Widdecombe’s agency at close to 8pm that evening to inform them that she had failed to appear on air.  As it was after office hours, the agency did not see the message until Thursday morning. It means that ITN’s message was sent around seven hours after Ms Widdecombe failed to respond to a 12.48pm message from the researcher asking her to join a Zoom link before the interview.  Ms Widdecombe was known as a highly organised and punctual woman, with friends last night saying that it would have been ‘highly unusual’ for her to have missed an appointment without making her apologies.  A source close to the events said the experience had felt like a ‘living nightmare’. The findings raise key questions over whether it would have been possible for Ms Widdecombe’s agency, Cloud9 Management, to alert police earlier and allow them to begin their murder investigation in the vital hours immediately after her death.  Police believe Ms Widdecombe was attacked at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor at around 12.30pm on Wednesday, but her body was only discovered in her kitchen nearly 24 hours later on Thursday morning at around 11.40am.  While last night ITN did not deny that staff waited until close to 8pm on Wednesday evening to make contact, the MoS understands that the company did follow its strict duty of care protocol.  There is no suggestion that ITN acted improperly. On Friday evening, Channel 5 News presenter Dan Walker said: ‘Ann was due to appear on 5 Daytime on Wednesday afternoon but stopped responding to messages and didn’t turn up for the show. The team contacted her agent to ask them to check in on her.  ‘This information has been passed to police as it’s part of the investigation.’  Cloud9 Management was approached for comment.