After months of violence and riots, Britian has been rocked by yet another murder. Pro-life politician and Catholic convert Ann Widdecombe, a staunch defender of life and family, was found brutally murdered in her home in Haytor, Devon on Dartmoor on Thursday. Local police were quick to declare the former member of parliament’s (MP’s) death a random incident and rule out a political or terrorist motive, but had to backtrack on Monday, instead handing the investigation over to Britain’s counter-terrorism police.

Widdecombe was first elected to Parliament as a member of the Conservative Party in 1987 and quickly distinguished herself as a vocal defender of the unborn and of Christian moral principles, including opposition to same-sex marriage. It was generally understood during her time in Parliament that Widdecombe would not accept a position as Health secretary should the Conservatives take power, since she refused to be responsible for licensing abortions, a duty under the Health secretary’s purview. Widdecombe retired from Parliament in 2010 but returned to politics nearly a decade later as a member of the Brexit Party in the European Parliament. She later joined Brexit Party’s successor, Reform U.K., as a spokeswoman for immigration and justice and policy.

After Widdecombe’s body was found, British leftists reacted with glee, similarly to how American leftists celebrated the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk nearly a year ago. In a since-deleted social media post, LGBT activist Peter Tatchell celebrated that “BIGOT” Widdecombe “is dead,” recounting her decades of opposition to the LGBT agenda. The Socialist Worker newspaper ran a headline reading, “Hurrah! Ann Widdecombe is strictly dead.” A transgender-identifying employee at Aberdeen University, Heather Herbert, took to social media to describe Widdecombe’s murder as “good news…” The biological male later wrote, “I hope it was an extremely painful death,” adding, “And I hope she was handcuffed to the bed as she screamed in agony.”

Unlike Tatchell, Herbert did not apologize for his comments, instead doubling down on his remarks. “I don’t want to see anyone murdered, but I’m still glad she is dead,” he wrote. “I’m a nobody. I have no power to do anything. Ann Widdecombe was able to and made the lives of ordinary people hell.” Another left-wing activist, Daze Aghaji, appeared on BBC programming and suggested that “a lot of people won’t be grieving” Widdecombe’s murder, proceeding to list Widdecombe’s conservative political views as reason enough not to miss the slain 78-year-old.

The last time Widdecombe was seen alive was in a television interview Wednesday morning, in which she participated remotely from her home. She was scheduled for another interview later that afternoon but suddenly stopped responding to producers via text message, prompting concern. A gardener found her dead body Thursday morning and, within about 24 hours, police had launched a murder investigation. Widdecombe had been bludgeoned to death. A suspect, identified as a 26-year-old white male, was arrested Friday, but released the following morning as police confirmed he was no longer a suspect.

Another suspect, identified as a 28-year-old “white British national,” was arrested Saturday in Rotherham, nearly 300 miles from Widdecombe’s home. He also was released and local police insisted that Widdecombe’s death was not politically motivated. However, the same suspect was re-arrested once South End Counter Terrorism Policing took over management of the murder investigation. Contrary to the claims of local police, the counter-terrorism division confirmed that Widdecombe was murdered in a “targeted attack,” likely politically motivated. According to the Daily Mail, police found an alarming amount of communist “literature” at the suspect’s home and believe that he deliberately targeted a member of the Reform Party, likely selecting Widdecombe because more high-profile targets, like party leader Nigel Farage, have heightened security.

The police’s mixed messaging and handling of the investigation, particular local police’s hasty decision to rule out a political motivation, have drawn criticism from many, especially Widdecombe’s friends and political allies. “In the past, they’d have said all avenues of investigation are open but this time they tried to close out avenues of the investigation,” Reform board member Gawain Towler said. “In a time when trust in the police is at an all-time low, this just plays into that they are trying to massage public opinion.”

When Farage suggested that Widdecombe may have been murdered due to her political positions, including her affiliation with Reform, The Times accused him of spreading “propaganda.” Reform MP Richard Tice responded, “You are sick[.] Your contempt bordering on hatred of Nigel, myself & Reform means you stoop to any low to smear & discredit us. You lie, libel and make things up. How many more Reform politicians do you want dead?”

Restore Britain founder Rupert Lowe, a former Reform member and friend of Widdecombe, called on the government, currently led by the left-wing Labour Party, to increase security for politicians, especially those who receive regular death threats, such as himself, Farage, and a host of other Restore and Reform candidates and politicians. “Personally, I have found Parliament’s response to be unacceptably relaxed about it all — it seems Reform feel the same. I agree,” Lowe wrote. “I also believe that the temperature of political ‘debate’ needs to be lowered. Of course there will be robust disagreement, and personal insults will inevitably be dragged into that, but too often, it’s too much. In Britain, there is a line. Or at least there should be,” he continued. “Any MP, from any party, who is subject to such foul abuse and threats should be protected by the state. Britain is not the same country as it was 20 years ago, even 10. There are a great number of very dangerous people living among us who want us dead.”

Widdecombe’s murder has been compared to the 2021 murder of MP David Amess, another pro-life Catholic. Amess was slain nearly five years ago while meeting with constituents in Leigh-on-Sea; Somali Muslim Ali Harbi Ali was arrested after stabbing Amess to death, using a kitchen knife to repeatedly stab the politician’s neck and chest. Widdecombe read a statement at Amess’s funeral.