Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed on Friday that the man, described as a white British national, was arrested at an address in Newton Abbot, Devon, and remains in custody, the BBC reported.

In a Facebook post, police said a murder investigation had been launched following the suspicious death of the former MP at her home on Dartmoor in Devon on July 9.

"Sadly, 78-year-old Miss Widdecombe was located deceased within the property. She had sustained serious injuries," the police statement said.

Detectives from the Force Major Crime Investigation Team have launched a murder investigation and are conducting extensive enquiries into the circumstances surrounding Widdecombe's death.

Detective Chief Inspector Ilona Rosson described the incident as "extremely tragic" and said the investigation was progressing rapidly.

"This is an extremely tragic incident and our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of Ann Widdecombe at this difficult time," Rosson said.

"Our murder enquiry is in its early stages but moving at a significant pace. We are deploying all of the necessary resources to find out exactly what has happened and to locate the person responsible who we believe to be a white male," she added.

"We will release further information when we are able to do so. In the meantime, I would ask people not to speculate about what might have happened, particularly on social media. This is not only potentially harmful to our investigation but also deeply distressing for the family and friends of Ann Widdecombe," Rosson said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reacted to Widdecombe's death, writing on X: "The whole country will be utterly shocked by the awful news about the circumstances of Ann Widdecombe's death."

Who was Ann Widdecombe?

A longtime Conservative Party politician, Widdecombe served as the Member of Parliament for Maidstone and, later, Maidstone and The Weald from 1987 to 2010.

She joined the Brexit Party in 2019 and served as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England from 2019 until the UK's departure from the European Union in 2020.

Widdecombe joined Reform UK in 2023 and served as the party's Immigration and Justice spokesperson until her death in 2026.

She stood down from the House of Commons at the 2010 general election and subsequently made numerous television and radio appearances.

Widdecombe competed in the eighth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 and finished as runner-up in the 21st series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.

She returned to frontline politics as the Brexit Party's lead candidate in South West England in the 2019 European Parliament election, winning a seat and serving until the UK formally left the EU on January 31, 2020.

In the December 2019 general election, she contested Plymouth Sutton and Devonport for the Brexit Party, finishing third.

Ideologically, Widdecombe described herself as a social conservative and frequently emphasised traditional values. During her time in the House of Commons, she opposed abortion rights, equalisation of the age of consent for same-sex couples.