A man has been charged with the murder of Ann Widdecombe.
The former Conservative minister was found dead at her home in Haytor, Devon, at around 11.40am on Thursday 9 July after suffering serious injuries.
A 28-year-old man was arrested in Rotherham, Yorkshire, on 11 July on suspicion of murder. He was later rearrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
The Crown Prosecution Service said Joshua Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, has now been charged with Ms Widdecombe’s murder.
He is due to appear at at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Officers believe Ms Widdecombe was attacked at around 12.30pm on Wednesday 8 July, nearly 24 hours before she was found.
The 78-year-old’s death was announced by her management the following Friday.
A 26-year-old man who was initially arrested on suspicion of the murder was released from custody on Saturday, with police stating that he was no longer part of their investigation.
Widdecombe served as a Tory MP from 1987 to 2010.
She then returned to frontline politics as a prominent voice in the Vote Leave campaign ahead of the 2016 EU referendum before joining the Brexit Party in 2019, serving as a member of the European Parliament.
Widdecombe joined Reform UK in 2023 and became the party’s immigration and justice spokesperson.