Ann Widdecombe homicide suspect recognized as Joshua Kerry, 28

Josh Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, has been named as the man arrested on suspicion of the murder of former MP Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead in her home in Devon

The suspect of the murder of Ann Widdecombe has been named and pictured.

Josh Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was originally detained on suspicion of murder, before being re-arrested two days later on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Kerry has not yet been charged with any offences after police requested further time to question him.

Ms Widdecombe was found dead in her house on Wednesday July 8, 30 minutes before she was set to appear via video call from home, on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show. The 78-year-old had last messaged a producer at 12.19pm but failed to respond to a text at 12.48pm.

Devon and Cornwall Police believe she was killed at 12.30pm in the bungalow where she lived alone with her cat on the edge of Dartmoor National Park.

Her body remained undiscovered for almost 24 hours before being found in the kitchen of the house at 11.40am the next day.

Detectives confirmed Ms Widdecombe’s death was a “targeted attack”.

Suspect Kerry is understood to have been unemployed since working as an office administrator up until two years ago.

Ms Widdecombe was first elected a Conservative MP in Kent in 1987, then served as an MEP for the Brexit Party and spokeswoman for Reform UK. She also starred in Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had spoken to his likely successor Andy Burnham, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK’s Mr Farage to “urge everybody to come together at a moment like this”.

Paying tribute to Ms Widdecombe Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said on Tuesday “Ann Widdecombe dedicated her life to politics and public service. For nearly 40 years, she was a fixture of our political life.

“She brought conviction to our politics, grounded in her profound Catholic faith. She was forthright in her opinions and argued courageously for the things she believed in. But, perhaps most of all, she brought an inimitable style to politics. She was forthright and fearless.”

The Home Secretary added: “She was one of those rare politicians who was bigger than politics.”

House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle also paid tribute to Ms Widdecombe in the chamber and urged MPs not to say anything that might prejudice a future trial.

He said: “Ann was a formidable politician, a prominent figure in public life. She was a member of Parliament for Maidstone for 23 years, holding a number of ministerial posts in the 1990s.

“Ann was fierce and enjoyed robust political debate. Whether you agreed with her or not, she was principled, spoke her mind and was true to her beliefs, informed by a Christian faith.

“On a personal level, Casa Pizza in Lambeth is where I spent a lot of time in the evening sharing a pizza with the one and only Ann Widdecombe.

“She was a friend in many ways. Politically we may not agree, but she was without doubt a courageous, principled politician and all our thoughts are with her family and her friends.”

Sir Lindsay has previously spoken about his fears for MPs following the killings of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016 and Conservative David Amess in 2021. He added: “Ann was a close friend to David Amess and both were animal lovers.”

Counter Terrorism Policing took over the investigation into Ms Widdecombe’s death after Devon and Cornwall Police initially said there was “nothing to suggest” the killing had been politically motivated.

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