Burnham orders security review for MPs after Widdecombe death
Burnham ordered a security review for MPs after Ann Widdecombe was found dead in Haytor, with prosecutors saying she was hit with a hammer 21 times.
Andy Burnham ordered a serious review of MPs’ security on his first full day as prime minister after the death of Ann Widdecombe pushed lawmakers’ safety to the top of Westminster’s agenda. Burnham said politics had “darkened” over the decade he had been in politics.
Widdecombe, the former Conservative MP who later served as Reform UK’s immigration and justice spokesperson, was found dead in her home in Haytor, Devon, last week. Prosecutors told Westminster Magistrates’ Court that she died after being hit on the head with a hammer 21 times while eating lunch at home. Joshua Kerry, 28, has been charged in connection with the case.
The killing and the security response became intertwined with the opening pitch of Burnham’s premiership. Reuters also reported Burnham calling for a serious review of lawmakers’ security, while his first-day messages included a promise to set out a new 10-year plan for Britain by the end of the year and an instruction to end rough sleeping.
The political backdrop was one of caution as much as ceremony. BBC reporting said a Commons statement was expected to concentrate on protection for MPs and other elected representatives, not the details of Widdecombe’s death, because the police investigation was still ongoing. That shift in emphasis reflected how quickly the case had turned from a criminal investigation into a test of whether the state can still protect people in public life.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski said he had not been offered any extra security and was worried for himself and other party leaders. His comments, alongside Burnham’s call for a review, underscored a rare cross-party concern that the threat environment around politics has worsened even as the new prime minister tries to frame his early days around authority, control and a longer-term reset for government.
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