Man Accused Of Killing Ex-UK MP Charged With Planning Acts Of Terrorism

A 28-year-old man already charged with the murder of a UK politician, has been charged with preparing acts of terrorism, including against hard-right leader Nigel Farage, British police announced Friday.

The murder had sparked strong reactions from politicians at the time, including MPs from Farage's Reform who have called for improved security for lawmakers.

Police on Friday said Joshua Kerry had been charged with one count of preparing acts of terrorism for actions allegedly carried out between May 31, 2024 and July 8, 2026.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, a Labour politician, offered her "deepest sympathy" to Nigel Farage and his family.

"Let no one make any mistake: an attack on anyone in politics is an attack on us all," she wrote on X after the charges were announced. 

"This case raises serious questions about the security of those in public life," Mahmood added.

In July, Kerry was charged with the murder of former MP and Reform UK spokesperson Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead in her home at the age of 78.

On Friday, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, said of the fresh charge: "We have been running a hugely intensive and complex investigation for some time..." 

"This investigation has been led by a dedicated team of detectives, analysts, and forensic experts, working on multiple lines of enquiry, which has resulted in this very serious charge," she added.

Kerry is due to appear in a London magistrates' court on October 7, the police statement added.

He was originally arrested on July 11, two days after the murder of Widdecombe, who was a veteran Conservative Party MP before joining Reform.

In July, Kashif Malik, the prosecutor handling that case told a court that the suspect had allegedly used a hammer to hit Widdecombe on the top of her head 21 times.

The former lawmaker had been eating lunch when he walked through her front door and attacked her, after having driven from his home in Rotherham, northern England, some 300 miles (500 kilometres) away, Malik argued.

Widdecombe's gardener found her body lying face down on her kitchen floor.

A provisional cause of death was given as a "blunt force injury to the head", said Malik.

Widdecombe, a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010, was known for her strong Christian faith and outspoken views.

She became a household name after she stepped down as an MP and was a fixture on reality TV shows and interview panels.

Widdecombe's death marked the third UK politician murdered in an attack this decade.

Labour Party MP Jo Cox was murdered in 2016 by a neo-Nazi sympathiser and Conservative lawmaker David Amess was killed in 2021 by an Islamic State group follower.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)