Leftist Joshua Kerry Charged With Murder of Pro-Life MP Anne Widdecombe

Joshua Kerry, a 28-year-old from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, has been charged with the murder of Ann Widdecombe, the 78-year-old pro-life former Conservative MP and Reform UK spokesperson.

Widdecombe’s body found with serious injuries at her home in Haytor, Dartmoor, Devon.

Kerry, who is a political leftist, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, the Crown Prosecution Service announced Monday.

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Widdecombe, a longtime champion of the pro-life cause and devout Catholic known for her steadfast defense of unborn children and traditional values, was discovered at approximately 11:40 a.m. on July 9. Police believe the attack occurred around 12:30 p.m. the previous day.

The case was taken over by counter-terrorism police after new evidence emerged.

Kerry, a British national who lived alone in a council house in Rotherham following his father’s death about a year ago, was arrested on suspicion of murder on July 11. He was later re-arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Frank Ferguson, chief crown prosecutor of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, stated: “We have decided to prosecute Joshua Kerry for murder following a police investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe.”

“Police enquiries into the defendant’s motives are ongoing, including a potential political or terrorist connection,” Ferguson added. “Our prosecutors have worked closely with the police to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court, and we will continue working with them as their investigation progresses.”

“We remind all concerned that proceedings against the defendant are active and he has the right to a fair trial. It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information which could in any way prejudice these proceedings,” Ferguson said.

CCTV footage reportedly showed Kerry leaving his Rotherham home early on the morning of July 8 with what appeared to be a long object resembling a baton in his pocket. He did not return until the evening after what police believe was a roughly 540-mile round trip.

During a search of Kerry’s home, officers discovered newspaper clippings about Nigel Farage, Reform UK, and the party’s immigration policies pinned to the walls.

A source told The Sun that the articles indicated Kerry “had a profound dislike of the party, its leader and its policies.”

Neighbors described Kerry as quiet and shy. One neighbor told the Daily Mail that after his father’s death, Kerry “became very quiet. He kept himself to himself and wouldn’t really speak to anyone.”

Police have stated they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the killing. The investigation into Kerry’s motives, including any political dimension, remains active.

Widdecombe’s death has sent shockwaves through British political circles, where she was respected across party lines for her decades of public service and unwavering commitment to protecting the most vulnerable, including the unborn.

As a patron of Right To Life UK for many years, her strong and consistent pro-life voting record serves as an example and aspiration for younger pro-life politicians entering the world of being a publicly pro-life politician, the group told LifeNews.

During her time in politics and after, she consistently voted in favour of greater protections for unborn babies and against attempts to legalise assisted suicide. As early as 1990, in a debate on the Abortion Act 1967, she argued that abortion should not be treated as any other medical intervention and that existing protections for unborn babies should not be eroded further.

In the same year, when debating amendments to the then Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, Widdecombe insisted that unborn babies not be left out of the discussion, arguing that, due to medical advances, the abortion limit should be lowered.

In another debate in the same year, Widdecombe raised concerns that an amendment to abortion legislation, allowing the Health Secretary to designate “a class of places” as suitable for abortions, would inadvertently pave the way for at-home abortions.

However, the author of the amendment, Robert Key MP, dismissed Widdecombe’s concerns and accused the then Conservative MP of speaking from “the whip issued by the pro-life group” and misleading Parliament.

The Health Secretary at the time, Kenneth Clarke, then assured MPs that the legislation was not intended to legalise home abortions and that abortions would only be “administered only in closely regulated circumstances under the supervision of a registered medical practitioner”.

Chris Whitehouse, a Right To Life UK Trustee, said: “For 40 years, Ann was to me a personal and family friend, a political mentor and a remarkable heroine of the pro-life cause. To have known her was a pleasure and a privilege, if sometimes a challenge. She was unflinching in her politics, constant in her friendships and steadfast in her defence of the principle of the right to life, both for the unborn and for those approaching the end of their lives”.

30 years later, Ann Widdecombe’s then-dismissed concerns have become a reality in the form of pills-by-post abortion, which, as of 2023, accounts for 72% of all abortions in England and Wales.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the circumstances as extremely distressing. “Ann’s dedication to public service was decades long, and she was a true servant of her constituents,” Mahmood said.

She added that the Home Office stands ready to support the police investigation and urged the public to avoid speculation.

Former Conservative minister Edwina Currie, a longtime acquaintance of Widdecombe, expressed shock at the news. “A frail 78-year-old lady, and they’re looking for a white male. God help us all,” Currie wrote on social media.

Widdecombe’s management company said it was “absolutely devastated by this news following a very traumatic and upsetting 24 hours” and appealed for anyone with information to contact police.

The murder inquiry remains in its early stages, with officers continuing to gather evidence and appeal for public assistance.

First elected as a Conservative MP for Maidstone in 1987, she held her seat until leaving the Commons in 2010, during which time she held two Ministerial positions, including Minister of State at the Home Office with responsibility for prisons and immigration. She was the only prison Minister to have personally visited every prison in England and Wales.

She returned to frontline politics in 2019 as a Member of the European Parliament until January 2020.