UK police free suspect in ex-MP Ann Widdecombe murder investigation

The former government minister is believed to have been attacked on Wednesday, a full day before her body was discovered.A man who was arrested on suspicion of murdering former British government minister Ann Widdecombe has been released and is no longer part of the investigation, police said.This comes as detectives revealed the killing took place a day before Widdecombe’s body was found at her home in rural southwest England on Thursday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Police probe donations to Britain’s far-right Reform partylist 2 of 4Andy Burnham apology for Labour stance on Gaza: Is UK’s position shifting?list 3 of 4UK police arrest man suspected of murdering former MP Ann Widdecombelist 4 of 4Could far-right Reform really win a UK general election now?end of listDevon and Cornwall Police said a 26-year-old white British national was arrested in Newton Abbot, about 14.5 kilometres (nine miles) from Widdecombe’s home, on Friday, before being freed on Saturday.Officers now believe the 78-year-old was attacked on Wednesday around 11:30 GMT, a day before ambulance workers called police to her home, where she was found dead with serious injuries.Police said they had found no evidence the killing was “terrorism”-related or politically motivated.They also said the suspect was believed to be a white male and that there was no wider risk to the public.Widdecombe was known for her socially conservative views, first as ⁠a junior minister in Conservative Prime Minister John Major’s 1992-1997 government and latterly as an immigration spokesperson for Nigel Farage’s far-right populist Reform UK.She converted to Catholicism partly in protest at the Church of England’s ordination of women as priests and was opposed to abortion and to equalising ⁠the age of consent for homosexual and heterosexual relationships.She also defended a policy of shackling pregnant prisoners during childbirth to prevent their escape and viewed single mothers as poor role ⁠models, but was unusual among Conservative lawmakers in opposing the hunting of ⁠foxes with hounds.