In Britain Who Exactly Qualifies as a Poisonous Bigot?

"I cannot tell you why Ann was killed. That is for the police and the courts. What I can tell you is that counter-terrorist police are investigating her murder as a suspected act of terrorism."

"The climate in which she was killed [owes to] a relentless narrative from politicians and the media that Reform UK is a threat -- a threat to be urgently stopped. [That narrative is] so relentless, it constitutes incitement."

"[Reform UK has become a target] because we say things that are unfashionable among many in Westminster, but are popular in the country at large."

"We cannot allow this [the dreadful murder of 78-year-old Ann Widdecombe] ever to happen again."

Reform UK spokesperson Zia Yusuf

Ann Widdicombe was struck 21 times with a hammer until dead. Anthony Devlin, Getty Images 

 

She was a controversial political figure. A Tory who had before retiring crossed over to the Reform UK party. A well-known Catholic social conservative whose passionate advocating on behalf of Christians persecuted worldwide, drew the attention of the Vatican and culminated in Pope Benedict XVI honouring here with a papal damehood in 2013. After her retirement from the British House of Commons in 2011, she stated that "You stand a better chance of earnest representation if  you are a hedgehog than if you are persecuted Christian".

 

She argued in a 2019 speech for the Oxford Union Society against deplatforming and censorship, explaining why free speech was so vital to her, given her experience growing up following the Second World War. On July 8 she was found dead in her Dartmoore home. When a producer she had been speaking with preparatory to her appearance on a Channel 5 show suddenly had his conversation with her go mute, he contacted her personal assistant, who in turn spoke to the gardener at her home.

 

The following day the gardener discovered Widdecombe's body at her "Widdecombe's Rest", the name she had given her retirement home. The attack that killed her succeeded with 21 hammer blows to her head, which police described as a "targeted attack". Counterterrorism police quickly took over the investigation into her death. When they arrested 28-year-old Joshua Kerry the statement was that her murder was motivated by "left-wing, anarchist and single-issue terrorism", in police lingo LASIT.   

"We have decided to prosecute Joshua Kerry for murder following a police investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe in Haytor, Dartmoor."

"Police inquiries into the defendant’s motives are ongoing, including a potential political or terrorist connection."

"Our prosecutors have worked closely with the police to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court, and we will continue working with them as their investigation progresses."

"We remind all concerned that proceedings against the defendant are active and he has the right to a fair trial."

"It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."

Frank Ferguson, the chief crown prosecutor of the CPS special crime and counter-terrorism division  

A court sketch of Joshua Kerry, 28, at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, on Tuesday. He is charged with the murder of Widdecombe, who was found dead at her home in Devon.

Elizabeth Cook/PA

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, pointed out Reform UK's Yusuf, described Widdecombe as a "poisonous bigot" who wants to "drag us back to the 19th century" and "throw minorities out in the cold on the way. We must stand up to them before it's too late"; as inflammatory statements go, that certainly rates.  As well, pointed out Yusuf, former health secretary Wes Streeting said, "If only science had a cure for Ann Widdecombe".

There was more that he pointed out, a statement by former parliamentary under-secretary of state for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, Jess Pillips: "Ann Widdecombe better go this week. She is a little fascist beast." As for Liberal Democrats Leader Ed Davey -- "The greatest threat to the Britain we love doesn't come from Tehran or Moscow. It comes from within. I'm talking about Nigel Farage and Reform". Pretty poisonous rhetoric from parliamentarians who should, we might believe, know better. 

"Reform UK MPs are being given round the clock security protection, as police continue their murder investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe."

"The veteran politician, a former Tory minister and later Reform spokesperson, was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor at around 11.40am on Thursday after sustaining serious injuries."

"Reform’s MPs are now being given 24-hour security protection following Miss Widdecombe’s death, as first reported by The Mail on Sunday."

"The security is being paid for by the party and was offered for fear of similar attacks."

"Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform, visited Devon on Saturday to lay a wreath for Miss Widdecombe and spoke to reporters about the case while he was there."

"He claimed Reform had gone through its emails to check for patterns of abuse directed at Ms Widdecombe, but had not been able to find anything."

"On Friday, he described Ms Widdecombe’s death as “a terrible reflection on modern Britain”."

"He added: “And I do fear that for anybody in public life, or especially the political space, things have become even more dangerous to them”."

itvNews  

Ann Widdecombe making a speech Credit: PA Archive/PA Images