Widdecombe called politics ‘game of destruction’ in final interview before death

The ex-Tory minister and former MEP was found dead at her home in Devon

Police believe the veteran politician was attacked at her home at about 12.30pm on Wednesday.

Ann Widdecombe called politics a “game of personal destruction” in what is thought to have been her final interview, recorded some 20 minutes before she died.

The ex-Tory minister and former MEP was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor, Devon, on Thursday and police are questioning a suspect held on suspicion of her murder.

Police believe the veteran politician was attacked at her home at about 12.30pm on Wednesday.

At midday on Wednesday, Ann Widdecombe spoke to Christian radio station TWR for around 10 minutes on Zoom for a pre-recorded interview.

She joined the call at 11.54am, with the interview starting at 12.01pm and ending at 12.10pm.

During the interview, the Reform UK spokeswoman defended party leader Nigel Farage over his decision to stand down from his Clacton constituency and call a by-election, which paused the investigation into him by Parliament’s Standards Committee to determine whether he failed to properly declare his interests.

Ann Widdecombe said: “He probably thinks, where is this going to end? Let’s bring an end to it. Let’s bring this to a head. Let’s put it to the people to see what they think of all of this.

“There has been a game now for a very long time. A game of personal destruction, not just for Nigel, for lots and lots of politicians.” She criticised the parliamentary register of interests as “a joke” and said it has “departed from its original purpose”.

The interview was never broadcast on TWR.

She also appeared on TalkTV on Wednesday morning, and was due to appear on Channel 5 in the afternoon.

She sent a message at 12.19pm acknowledging she had received a Zoom link to appear but did not respond to further attempts to contact her.

Police officers were called to her home the next morning and found her dead inside, having sustained “serious injuries”.

Counter-terrorism police are now leading the investigation into the former Conservative minister’s death after new evidence came to light.