admin 
Millie Cooke, The Independent
Andy Burnham has called for a “serious review” of MPs’ security after the murder of veteran politician Ann Widdecombe. The incoming prime minister warned that “something has changed” in politics, saying he is “certainly” prepared to look at the security of politicians when he enters Downing Street. On Tuesday night it emerged that counter-terrorism police are probing whether the suspect held over Widdecombe’s killing was motivated by left-wing extremism and planning further violence against other high-profile figures.
Detectives confirmed Widdecombe’s death was a “targeted attack,” and said whether the suspect in the alleged murder was targeting Reform UK figures will be a “line of investigation.” The 78-year-old former MP and MEP was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor, Devon, on Thursday. A 28-year-old white British man arrested in South Yorkshire on Saturday remains in custody. He is being held on suspicion of commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism, as well as on suspicion of murder.
Burnham said: “It’s obviously appalling what happened to Ann. I knew Ann over many years in the House, and you know, we would get along – and everybody would get along. “But it feels as though something has changed. It’s easy to blame social media, but it feels like it’s having some impact in just building that kind of toxicity that’s around the political debate.”
Burnham said the issue could not be solved by “easy, glib answers,” adding: “I do think we need now a serious review of MPs’ security. “I certainly am prepared to do that.” Senior figures in Reform UK, which the former Tory minister joined later in her life, have complained about the level of security their party and its leader Nigel Farage have been offered.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood has offered Farage a meeting with the chairman of the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), the body responsible for security of high-profile figures. But Reform’s Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said Farage’s state-funded security had been downgraded.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “I find it astonishing that just a short period after he was elected to Parliament, the authorities, the government, chose to massively downgrade his security. “I can’t see any good explanation for that, and the events of the last week have only shone a light on that.
“It shouldn’t have taken the death of Ann Widdecombe for Nigel Farage to be given a meeting with the relevant Home Office committee.” The i Paper reported that Mr Farage was offered a security package similar to the level offered to Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch including a bodyguard, car and trained driver last year.
But he turned that down because he considered that to be a downgrade on what he had previously received. It came as a Cabinet minister warned that politicians face a “horrific” culture of violence which has become worse in recent years.
Treasury Chief Secretary Lucy Rigby said it was a “sad and troubling” reality that the threats facing MPs and others in public life had increased.
She told BBC Breakfast: “There is just this increasing climate of abuse and intimidation, including via social media, and in the very worst cases extreme violence.
“I certainly wish that we didn’t live in a country where this was a fact of life.
“We need Members of Parliament, but everyone involved in public life, to be able to go about their work freely. This is key to living in a democracy.”
She said MPs were offered increased security, adding: “I think it’s really troubling – more than troubling, it’s pretty horrific, really – this increased culture of violence that affects those in public life.
“I know plenty of people of both genders, although they tend to be more women, who have thought to themselves – thought very hard – about standing for Parliament, or even standing to be a councillor for their local authority, because of threats of violence, violent threats involving people’s families.
“It’s horrific that we have to deal with this, but we do.”
Counter-terrorism police are now in charge of the case relating to Ms Widdecombe after new evidence came to light – but a senior officer stressed the murder and terror investigations are currently working “in parallel”.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor told reporters on Tuesday the question of whether a TV appearance might have motivated her killing is also a “line of inquiry”.
Miss Widdecombe spoke to Mark Dolan by video-link on Talk TV just after 8am on Wednesday, and police believe she was attacked at about 12.30pm the same day.
“It is clear that this was a targeted attack,” Mr Taylor said.
“We are still working to understand the extent of any planning or preparation, and the motivation that sits behind that attack.” Asked if police were probing whether the suspect was targeting other Reform UK figures, he said: “So clearly, part of our responsibility when investigating offences of this nature is to assure ourselves and therefore the public and others of any extant of threat. “That will form a line of investigation to ensure that we are putting all appropriate measures in place to mitigate any threat, should it become apparent. “I’m not saying there is or there isn’t at this stage.”
