(FILES) Brexit Party MEP Ann Widdecombe sits on stage during an event to launch the Brexit Party general election campaign in London on November 1, 2019. UK police on Friday, July 10, launched a murder probe after a former British politician and ex-prisons minister was found dead in her home with serious injuries.
Ben STANSALL / AFP
UK police on Friday launched a murder probe after a former government minister was found dead in her home.
Tributes had been pouring in Friday for Ann Widdecombe, a former Conservative MP who later pushed for Brexit and joined the hard-right Reform party, after news she had been found dead on Thursday at the age of 78.
But police later announced that "a murder investigation has been launched following the suspicious death" of Widdecombe at her home in Devon county in southwest England.
"She had sustained serious injuries," police Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman told reporters, adding a 26-year-old white British man had been arrested in connection with Widdecombe's death.
He said he "had no information to say it was a politically motivated crime" and her death was not being treated as terror-related.
Widdecombe, a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010, was known for her strong Christian faith and outspoken views.
In 1995 as prisons minister she was embroiled in a row after defending a policy of chaining pregnant prisoners to prevent them from escaping.
Years later, she endeared herself to the public when she appeared in 2010 on the BBC's "Strictly Come Dancing" show where celebrities with no dance experience are paired with a professional partner.
Her "galumphing" moves, as she described her dance style, helped her survive to the show's quarter-finals thanks to the vote from the public, who cheered on her ability to laugh at herself.
"For many, of course, she will be best (or worst?) remembered for her unforgettable appearances on Strictly," her management agency Cloud9 said in a statement.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the news of the murder inquiry was "really shocking" and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the circumstances "extremely distressing".
Widdecombe joined the Brexit Party led by Nigel Farage in 2019, and served as a European MEP between 2019 and 2020.
"She played a decisive role in getting Brexit over the line and will be missed by us all," Farage said.
Her Strictly appearance was however to turn her into a reality TV star, when she joined such shows as "Celebrity Big Brother".
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