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Associated Press

A man who threatened on social media in May to shoot Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage was arrested, London police said on Wednesday, as concerns grow over the security of politicians following the killing of Ann Widdecombe, a former member of parliament.
The man was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of sending threatening communications to a member of parliament, the Metropolitan Police said.
“I am going to shoot you in the head if you win,” he allegedly told Farage on social media, according to the Telegraph newspaper.
The July 8 killing of Widdecombe, who was a member of the anti-immigration Reform UK, has led the party to call for better protection of its members.
The suspect was held overnight and released on bail, police said.

Farage recently resigned his seat in Parliament over an investigation into an undeclared £5 million (US$6.7 million) gift he received from a cryptocurrency billionaire.
Farage said the money was to pay for his personal security. He quit but is seeking re-election next month to the same seat to show he still has the support of the people. Opponents have criticised that as a ploy to dodge a parliamentary inquiry.
The death of Widdecombe at her rural home in southwest England has shaken the British political establishment, where she was long known for blunt-spoken socially conservative views opposing abortion and the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights.
The investigation into her death is being handled by counterterror police who took over after new evidence was discovered.
Devon and Cornwall Police have been criticised for originally saying the killing was not believed to be a terror-related crime and there was nothing to suggest it was politically motivated.
Need for protection
⁠Reform UK called on Wednesday ⁠for all lawmakers to be given “full security” ⁠if they wanted it.
At a news conference, Zia Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs policy chief, accused other politicians and the media of fuelling hostility against ‌the party, which, he said, had led to death threats against Farage and other lawmakers.
“If Reform win the next general election … I will ensure that all members of parliament, of all parties, are provided with ⁠round-the-clock protection,” Yusuf said. “We will also allocate significant new resources to protect former politicians still active in ‌public life.”
In Britain, politicians are no strangers to abuse from the public, but in ‌recent years many lawmakers have said the tone has become increasingly ugly and dangerous, with some changing their routines and behaviour to avoid ‌confrontation.

In 2021, ‌Conservative lawmaker David Amess was stabbed to death in a church by a man inspired by ‌Islamic State. Five years earlier, Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was killed by a Nazi-obsessed attacker during the Brexit ⁠campaign.
Yusuf said Farage had received almost ⁠600 death threats since February.
That was why, he said, Farage had accepted donations to fund his own security detail. “Those who question Nigel Farage’s need for security should stop,” Yusuf said.
Security measures were bolstered after Cox’s murder, with lawmakers offered panic buttons and additional locks at their homes and offices. After Amess’ murder, the Conservative government and parliament offered lawmakers trained security protection when meeting voters.
Additional reporting by Reuters


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Britain

Nigel Farage lays flowers near the home of former government minister and Reform UK party member Ann Widdecombe on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

A mock £5 million note with a portrait of Nigel Farage is displayed during the weekly anti-Brexit protest in Parliament Square on Wednesday. Photo: dpa

Nigel Farage and Ann Widdecombe pose for a photocell to promote her joining Reform UK on April 24, 2019. Photo: Reuters

Placards for the Labour party and Reform UK on display outside houses in Wigan, Britain, on June 15. Photo: EPA

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says the government intends to amend laws to make it easier to deport serious criminals such as Shabir Ahmed. Photo: EPA

Shabir Ahmed, a convicted leader in one of Britain’s grooming gang cases. Photo: Handout

A British police officer stands guard on the beach of Dungeness, on the southeast coast of England, in June 2022, as migrants are helped off a Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboat after attempting to cross the English Channel. Photo: AFP

Man arrested on suspicion of murdering ex-UK minister Ann Widdecombe

 Ann Widdecombe speaks during a Brexit Party rally in Peterborough, Britain, in May 2019. Photo: Reuters

Police officers stand outside Ann Widdecombe’s home in Haytor on Friday. Photo: PA Wire via dpa

Nigel Farage and Ann Widdecombe pose for photos in front of Europe House in London in April 2019. Photo: Reuters

Ann Widdecombe death: UK counterterror police probe suspected murder of ex-minister

Ann Widdecombe in 2019. Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in ‌rural southwest England on Thursday with what police ​described as 'serious injuries'. Photo: AFP

Police investigate an area near the home of Ann Widdecombe. Photo: Reuters

Reform UK’s Ann Widdecombe murdered in targeted attack, police say

Reform UK justice spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe delivers a speech in Doncaster in February 2024. Photo: EPA

A police officer walks past flower tributes left outside the home of Ann Widdecombe in Haytor, Britain, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

UK’s Nigel Farage to quit as lawmaker, seeks re-election to clear name

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage makes a statement to the media at the party headquarters in Millbank, central London, on Tuesday. Photo: via AP

Journalists in London watch on mobile phones as Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage makes a televised speech in which he resigned as MP for Clacton on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Andy Burnham, Labour MP for Makerfield, celebrates after his swearing-in at the Houses of Parliament on June 22, 2026, in London. Photo: TNS

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The killing of Ann Widdecombe, who was a member of Farage’s party, has sparked concerns over the security of British politicians


The killing of Ann Widdecombe, who was a member of Farage’s party, has sparked concerns over the security of British politicians.


UK police arrest man over threat to shoot Reform leader Nigel Farage

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The killing of Ann Widdecombe, who was a member of Farage’s party, has sparked concerns over the security of British politicians

The killing of Ann Widdecombe, who was a member of Farage’s party, has sparked concerns over the security of British politicians