The man accused of murdering Ann Widdecombe has been charged with a terror plot against Nigel Farage, as officials warn of rising threats to public figures.
Joshua Kerry, 28, now faces prosecution for engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts, including against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, after Crown prosecutors reviewed the evidence and moved forward with the case.
Breitbart reported that Kerry already faces a separate murder trial over the death of former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe, who was killed at her Devon home in July, and that he remains remanded in custody ahead of a Westminster Magistrates’ Court appearance.
The terror-preparation case covers alleged conduct between May 31, 2024, and July 8 of this year. The murder trial is set to begin in June of next year.
Frank Ferguson, chief prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime and counterterrorism division, stated the charging decision directly.
"Having carefully reviewed the evidence, we have made the decision to prosecute Joshua Kerry for engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts."
Ferguson added that prosecutors worked closely with police and stressed that proceedings remain active, warning against any reporting or commentary that could prejudice a fair trial.
Kerry, of Rotherham, was first taken into custody on suspicion of murder at 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, in South Yorkshire. While still in custody, he was rearrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation, or instigation of an act of terrorism, the Washington Examiner reported.
British prosecutors later charged him with murder after more than a week in custody on suspicion of both murder and terror-related activity. Police believe Widdecombe, 78, was attacked on July 8 after she was found dead with serious injuries at her rural home following a missed television interview, according to the New York Post.
Investigators opened more than 800 lines of inquiry. Laurence Taylor, head of counter-terrorism policing, said the probe into Kerry’s motivations and any wider activity was continuing, and that detectives were still examining possible political motives given Widdecombe’s profile and the targeted nature of the attack.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, described a long-running inquiry.
"We have been running a hugely intensive and complex investigation for some time. The charge announced today is a result of the tireless work of investigators across the counterterrorism policing network."
Evans said a dedicated team of detectives, analysts, and forensic experts pursued multiple lines of inquiry before the serious charge was brought.
Ann Widdecombe served as a government minister during the Major government in the 1990s. She later became a Brexit Party MEP and a spokeswoman for Reform UK, aligning with the same political current that brought Farage back to the front line of British politics.
Her killing turned a local tragedy into a national security story. Kerry’s dual track, murder charges tied to Widdecombe and a separate terror-preparation case naming Farage, has forced officials to address the risk facing elected and public figures who challenge the status quo.
Parliament cut Farage’s security funding last year. In 2024, mega-donor Christopher Harborne gave Farage a £5 million personal gift to pay for a security detail. Farage did not disclose the gift to parliamentary watchdogs, saying he was a private citizen at the time after a stretch away from office.
Labour and Conservative lawmakers argued the donation should have been disclosed and that the failure may have breached parliamentary ethics codes. Farage had retired from politics before a snap election call from Rishi Sunak pulled him back; he then stood in a Clacton by-election and put his fate in the hands of those constituents.
In recent months the security arrangement became a major political talking point once the gift became public. Reform UK figures had already been raising alarms.
On Saturday, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice accused the government of failing to take seriously the safety concerns raised about Farage and others in the party. He pointed to a significant shift in the authorities’ approach only in recent weeks, and voiced deep regret over how long the warnings went unheeded.
"he’s not being believed, not being listened to, and you know we have just got in a sense deep regret over everything that’s happened over a long period of time."
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood issued a public statement as the new charges landed. She offered sympathies to Farage and his family and framed an attack on any politician as an attack on the system itself.
"I know the new charges made today will be extremely concerning. My profound sympathies are with Nigel Farage and his family. Let no one make any mistake: an attack on anyone in politics is an attack on us all. This case raises serious questions about the security of those in public life. We must use this as an opportunity to reset. Once parliament returns, I will update on our work to strengthen protections for those who choose to serve."
Ferguson, for the CPS, underscored that the case will move through the courts with Kerry’s fair-trial rights intact, and that prosecutors will keep working with police as the investigation continues.
Kerry is scheduled to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. He remains in custody. The murder case and the terror-preparation case are set on separate tracks, with the Widdecombe trial not due to open until June of next year.
No detailed method for the alleged terror preparation has been released in the charging announcements, and officials have not publicly stated a motive. What they have said is that the evidence cleared the threshold for prosecution on preparation of terrorist acts, and that the Widdecombe killing remains a live murder prosecution against the same defendant.
For years, right-of-center politicians in Britain have warned that hostile rhetoric and thin official protection leave them exposed. A former minister is dead, a Reform UK leader is named in a terror-preparation case, and the state is only now promising to “reset” the rules that left those figures to arrange their own security.
Voters who expect lawful order should demand that the people willing to serve under their own names are not left as soft targets while the paperwork catches up.
