Joshua Kerry has been charged with the murder of former government minister Ann Widdecombe.
Joshua Kerry, a 28-year-old man from Rotherham, has been charged with the murder of Ann Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman. The 78-year-old politician was found with serious injuries at her home in Haytor Vale on July 9, just one day after she missed a television interview. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that Kerry will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday. While Kerry was initially arrested on suspicion of murder, he was later re-arrested on terrorism charges. National Counterterrorism Policing head Laurence Taylor stated that investigators are currently working to determine the exact motive behind the targeted attack, including potential political or terrorist connections. Widdecombe was a prominent figure in British politics, serving as a Member of Parliament for 23 years before joining the Brexit Party and eventually Reform UK. Her death follows a decade of increasing political violence in the United Kingdom. Prosecutors have emphasized that the case is active and requested that the public avoid sharing information that could prejudice the upcoming trial.