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Senior Reform UK figures call for more information about Widdecombe suspect

22 Jul 2026 2 minute read

Court artist sketch of Joshua Kerry, 28, appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Photo credit: Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire

Margaret Davis, Press Association Crime Correspondent

Senior figures in Reform UK are continuing to push for more information to be published about the political beliefs of the man accused of murdering Ann Widdecombe.

The 78-year-old party spokeswoman was found dead at her home in Devon on July 9 with serious head injuries.

Joshua Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, appeared in court on Tuesday charged with her murder, with prosecutors revealing that she had been hit on the head with a hammer 21 times.

He is due to attend a plea hearing at the Old Bailey in November and a trial at the same court in June next year.

Strict rules around contempt of court mean that once a suspect has been charged, only limited information about the case can be published in order to avoid prejudicing any future trial.

Contempt of court rules are designed to protect criminal justice proceedings from outside interference to make sure they are fair, and avoid the publication of anything that would cause a substantial risk of serious prejudice to a trial.

The punishment can be up to two years in prison or a fine.

Both Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and deputy leader Richard Tice took to X to call for more information to be made public about the suspect’s political beliefs.

Mr Farage asked: “Why will no one report on Joshua Kerry’s political views?”

While Mr Tice declared: “We deserve to know the answers, immediately, not be forced to wait many many months for a trial.”

Detectives are continuing to investigate any possible political motive for Miss Widdecombe’s murder, and on Monday head of UK counter-terrorism policing Laurence Taylor called for officers to be given time to work on the “particularly intensive and complex investigation” into her death.

He added: “As criminal proceedings are now under way, and to avoid impeding the judicial process, we will not be making any further comment on the investigation unless absolutely appropriate.”

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