A 28-year-old white British man has been arrested in Rotherham on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative MP and MEP.
The arrest was carried out shortly after 21:00 on Saturday by officers from Counter Terrorism Police North East and South Yorkshire Police.
Ms Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in Haytor, Devon, on Thursday after sustaining serious injuries. Police believe she was attacked almost 24 hours before she was discovered.
No political motivation suspected
Devon and Cornwall Police have said there is "nothing to suggest it was politically motivated". Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman told reporters on Sunday that officers remained "open-minded" about a potential motive and that there was not thought to be any threat to the wider public.
Longman said there is no information to suggest the attack was terrorism-related.
Investigation update
Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with Ms Widdecombe's death. Devon and Cornwall Police have received more than 120 reports of information following a public appeal.
Longman asked anyone who had not yet come forward to do so "as a priority" and reiterated calls for people not to speculate about a potential motive, describing this as "unhelpful" for the investigation and "distressing" to Ms Widdecombe's family.
A "heightened" police presence will remain in the area over the coming weeks.
About Ann Widdecombe
Ms Widdecombe served as Conservative MP for Maidstone for 23 years and held ministerial roles in John Major's government between 1994 and 1997. She left the Commons in 2010 and later appeared on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing that year, finishing as runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.
She joined the Brexit Party in 2019 and represented South West England as its MEP from 2019 to 2020.