‘Intolerant’ Ann Widdecombe suspect ‘was hard-Left activist who expressed his hatred of me on more than one occasion’

THE brutal murder of Ann Widdecombe has shocked Britain to its core. Ann was a titan of British public life. From her decades as an uncompromising MP to her brilliant, straight-talking turn as Reform UK’s immigration spokesperson, she remained a woman of unshakeable principle. Nigel Farage says Ann Widdecombe murder suspect Joshua Kerry was a ‘hard-Left activist’ who had expressed hatred towards him Credit: The Sun Police and media wanted the public to believe that a 78-year-old woman living in a remote Dartmoor village had simply been the random victim of a burglary gone wrong Credit: Alamy But in the immediate aftermath of her tragic death, a familiar and depressing pattern emerged from the Westminster establishment. They wanted us to simply sweep the terrifying reality under the rug, and, above all, keep our mouths shut. I refused to do that. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! After news of Ann’s death broke, I travelled to her home in Devon to pay my respects and told the assembled media what even at that early stage appeared entirely obvious: I believed this was a premeditated murder. I warned them that the world had become a far more hostile and dangerous place for those of us in public life, particularly for politicians who dare to speak up for the silent majority. Almost instantly, the establishment sky fell in. I was accused by rival politicians of exploiting a tragedy for political propaganda. The local Devon and Cornwall Police issued stern, finger-wagging warnings against “unhelpful speculation”, insisting there was absolutely nothing to suggest a political or terrorist motive. Meanwhile, la-di-da newspaper columnists wrote hand-wringing pieces about how my interventions were “distressing” and “dangerous”. They wanted me to stick to the polite script of the Westminster bubble. They wanted us to believe that a 78-year-old woman living in a remote Dartmoor village had simply been the random victim of a burglary gone wrong. Most read in The Sun Nigel with Reform party spokeswoman Ann Credit: Ray Collins – The Sun Counter terror cops are now investigating Ann’s brutal killing Credit: Getty They wanted to pretend that the rising tide of hatred and violence directed at patriotic, common-sense politicians in this country was just a figment of our imagination. Well, how quickly that narrative crumbled when confronted with the cold, hard facts. Just days later, the investigation was abruptly snatched away from the local police and handed over to Counter Terrorism Policing. A 28-year-old suspect, now known to be Joshua Kerry, was tracked down and arrested some 300 miles away in Rotherham. Surprise, surprise, he wasn’t some local opportunistic thief. And sure enough, he was rearrested under the Terrorism Act on suspicion of the commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism. Then came the final, undeniable vindication. Laurence Taylor, the head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, stood before the cameras and stated they now believed this was indeed a “targeted attack”. He revealed that officers had uncovered clear evidence of planning and preparation. In other words, every single thing I said about Ann’s death appears to be correct. It was premeditated. And it was targeted. But do you think I’ve received an apology from the high-and-mighty critics who lined up to call me a liar and a conspiracy theorist? Of course not. I have it on good authority that the murder suspect was a hard-Left activist. He attended various marches and hated anyone with an opposing view. He had expressed his hatred of me on more than one occasion. He was an intolerant individual obsessed with Soviet communism. He may also have been known to the authorities. Look, this isn’t about scoring political points. It is about the very survival of our democracy. We have already lost Jo Cox and David Amess, may they rest in peace, to the dark forces of political extremism. Now we have lost Ann, a woman who spent her final minutes on Earth recording a broadcast defending me against the establishment’s smear campaigns. This was someone who gave her life to public service. She fought for Brexit when it was unfashionable, defended Christian values, championed animal welfare and stood up for victims of crime. Her death must be a line in the sand. For years, those of us like Ann who have fought for secure borders and traditional British values have been systematically demonised. We have been called every name under the sun by the liberal intelligentsia, who have fostered a toxic, hateful atmosphere where we have been treated not as political opponents but sub-human monsters who deserve whatever comes our way. But Britain deserves leaders unafraid to face facts. I will not be silenced by the hand-wringers or finger-waggers more worried about managing public relations than tackling the threats to our nation. We must now let justice take its course. We miss Ann terribly but her legacy will live on. Rest in peace, Ann. Your fight continues.