Mahmood orders urgent security review after killing of Ann Widdecombe

Security arrangements for high-profile public figures including politicians and members of the royal family are to be urgently reviewed after the killing of Ann Widdecombe, the home secretary has said.Shabana Mahmood said former MPs, party leaders who are not MPs, peers, former members of devolved parliaments and party spokespeople will also be offered police support.The UK’s protective security system will be re-examined to combat the growing risks of terrorism, extremism and state threats, as well as harassment and intimidation, Mahmood said.The review will be carried out by Sir Stephen Lovegrove, a former UK national security adviser, who will look at whether current security arrangements ensure there is adequate protection for those most at risk.This includes high-profile individuals such as members of the royal family, government ministers, MPs, locally elected representatives and other prominent individuals in British politics. His review will not include an assessment of individual cases.Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokesperson, was found dead on 9 July at her home in Haytor, Devon, having sustained serious injuries.Joshua Kerry, 28, has been charged with Widdecombe’s murder. He is also accused of “online reconnaissance” of prominent people and institutions, travelling to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s home in south London on 19 April 2025 and trying to break into it 15 months before Widdecombe was killed.Addressing the Commons, Mahmood said that, regardless of the outcome of the investigation into an attempted break-in at Farage’s home, it is “clear there is insufficient protection for those who serve”.“I can therefore announce today that I will expand, with immediate effect, police support to political figures who are not currently members of parliament,” she said. “This will include former members of parliament, peers and party spokespeople, giving them access to a named police officer, as well as help with wider security measures.Mahmood added: “Today I also announce an independent root-and-branch review of the protective security provided by the state to those in public life. We can defeat those who mean us harm, but we are strongest when we act together. “In a more dangerous world, we are faced by threats from without and within that target our democracy and our way of life. In response, we are adapting and strengthening our defences. “As ever, I commend the work of the police and our security services, who labour in silence to keep us safe. And I’m sure the whole house joins me in offering thanks to them for that vital life-saving work.”Lovegrove will look at how existing security is provided, whether funding and other measures are being used effectively and proportionately, and how decision-making can be more consistent in response to threat and risk.Robert Buckland is conducting a separate review into the murder of Sir David Amess MP, which will consider the security of MPs in their constituencies.In May’s local elections the Electoral Commission found that 55% of all candidates experienced some form of harassment and intimidation, as did the same proportion of candidates at the 2024 general election.