Politics
Reform UK scramble to make themselves main victim in alleged Widdicombe murder
Reform UK party’s senior figures will do anything for a propaganda win. The billionaire-backed racist outfit are always desperate for attention. Now they’re trying to make themselves the primary victim of the alleged murder of former Tory and Reform UK politician Ann Widdicombe.
Counter-terror investigation opened
Widdicombe was found dead at her Devon home on 9 July 2026.
Naturally, the British establishment scrambled to eulogise Widdicombe, a notorious homophobe and reactionary. Waxy TV prattler Piers Morgan even skipped over her bigotry to call her “fun and fiesty”.
Counter-terrorism police have now taken over the investigation. Top counter-terror cop Laurence Taylor told reporters on 13 July:
Building on the progress made by our colleagues in Devon and Cornwall Police, we now have new information and evidence that means Counter Terrorism Policing is now leading the investigation.
We are pursuing multiple lines of enquiry to establish the motivation for this attack.
Our priority is progressing this investigation quickly, with all the capabilities we have available to us. If anyone has any information, please share it with the police.
We would like to thank local communities, the wider public and the media for their ongoing support and patience, and would ask them to continue to support us in the next stage of the investigation.
There’s little suggestion what the ‘new information’ is. But that hasn’t stopped Reform trying to trade off the death – despite warnings from the police about the dangers of public speculation.
Abandoned by the state?
Reform’s shadow home secretary Zia Yusuf took to X to complain about a Daily Mail headline from 12 July. The headline said Reform UK MPs had been given 24hr protection due to the risk of being targeted. He said:
Given the way this headline is worded, many are (understandably) taking it to mean Reform MPs have been given police protection by the state.
I want to clarify that the opposite is true.
The state is providing no protection whatsoever.
He added:
In fact, based on what I have seen in the last 48 hours, none of the government, the Speaker nor the police care at all about the security of Reform MPs.
Several of our MPs have written to the above in recent months about distressing, escalating security concerns, asking for help.
Their correspondence was not even replied to.
I will let you draw your own conclusions from this.
Yusuf’s inference appeared to be that the British state has left Reform figures at the mercy of… somebody? It isn’t clear who so far, because the case has just been opened.
Tice calls media ‘sick’
Reform MP Richard Tice also stepped in on 13 July. He was attacking a Times article, which argued Reform leader Nigel Farage was spinning Widdicombe’s death for propaganda purposes:
The Times Group:
You are sick
Your contempt bordering on hatred of Nigel, myself & Reform means you stoop to any low to smear & discredit us. You lie, libel and make things up. How many more Reform politicians do you want dead?
Shame on you https://t.co/LnCCZ4YEqi
— Richard Tice MP
The offending article had featured Harvey Proctor, a former Tory MP and friend of Widdicombe, slamming Farage for trying to use the death for his own ends:
Ann Widdecombe was far too dear to her family, friends and former colleagues for her murder to be exploited as political propaganda.
The police have expressly asked the public not to speculate about the motive. It is therefore deeply disappointing that Nigel Farage has chosen to do precisely that.
Tice followed up again several hours later after counter-terror cops took over the investigation, doubling down on his original claim:
A lot of journalists MUST now APOLOGISE to Nigel and us at Reform
You know who you are Counter terrorism police now leading investigation into Ann Widdecombe's murder investigation — Richard Tice MP
https://t.co/K8W2TVcCXs
Speaker of the House Lindsay Hoyle is reportedly not happy with Reform’s claims:
Hearing that Lindsay Hoyle has spoken to Reform chief whip Lee Anderson over Zia Yusuf's claims that he doesn't care about their MPs' security.
Sounds like the Speaker is not very happy, to say the least.
— Jack Elsom (@JackElsom) July 13, 2026
Reform desperate to play the victim
The investigation into Ann Widdecombe’s death is ongoing. Unlike Reform’s Nigel Farage, we aren’t going to speculate on a live case. But what does seem clear is that Reform are desperate to make themselves the primary victim of an old political ally’s death. Which smacks of sheer, sad desperation and low moral health – among other things.
For a group of people who love to talk about others playing particular ‘cards’ – the ‘race’ card, for example – they like nothing more than playing the victim card themselves. Even if it is at the expense of a former member of their own party…
Featured image via Sky News
By Joe Glenton
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