A 28-year-old man from Rotherham has been charged with the murder of Ann Widdecombe, police and prosecutors have confirmed.
Joshua Kerry is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in Haytor, Devon on Thursday 9 July with serious injuries.
Investigation ongoing
Counter Terrorism Policing said "determining the motivation, including any possible political motivation" remains "an active avenue" of investigation.
Kerry was initially arrested on suspicion of murder on 11 July, before being additionally arrested on 13 July on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
Laurence Taylor, head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said the investigation into Kerry's motivations and any wider activity he may have been involved in is continuing. He described it as "a particularly intensive and complex investigation".
Counter terrorism teams have gathered "a huge amount of information" over the past week, leading to more than 800 lines of enquiry. Investigators are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
Widdecombe's career
Widdecombe served as Conservative MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years and held ministerial roles in Sir John Major's government in the 1990s. She later appeared on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 and was a runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.
She represented South West England as a Member of the European Parliament for the Brexit Party and joined Reform UK as a party spokeswoman in 2023.
Court proceedings
The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed sufficient evidence exists to bring the case to court. Frank Ferguson, chief crown prosecutor of the CPS's special crime and counter terrorism division, said prosecutors will continue working with police as the investigation progresses.
The investigation is led by Counter Terrorism Policing South East, supported by Devon and Cornwall Police.