Farage Says Reopened Firebomb Probe Is 'Directly Linked' to Ann Widdecombe Murder, Won't Say How

Nigel Farage said Monday that a reopened investigation into an alleged firebomb attack at his London home last year is directly tied to the murder of Ann Widdecombe, but declined to explain how, according to the BBC.

Counter Terrorism Policing London reopened the year-old case last week after identifying what it called a new line of inquiry that wasn't pursued the first time around. The unit has also referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, Britain's police watchdog, over how the original investigation was handled.

The incident dates to April 2025, when what the Telegraph described as a "lit incendiary device" was pushed through Farage's letterbox in south London. At the time, police said a door was damaged but nothing was stolen. Both the Metropolitan Police and CTP London investigated it as an attempted burglary. No arrests were made, and the case was closed.

That changed after Widdecombe, the 78-year-old former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman, was found dead at her Devon home last month with serious injuries. Joshua Kerry, from Rotherham in South Yorkshire, was arrested on suspicion of murder on July 11 and then arrested again two days later on suspicion of terrorism offenses, according to the BBC.

At a press conference, Farage called the reopening "a completely unprecedented move" and said it is "directly linked to the murder of Ann Widdecombe." He added: "I'm afraid I just can't tell you any more than that at this stage."

The IOPC confirmed it is now investigating the conduct of a CTP London staff member over an allegation the individual "failed to identify and pursue a line of enquiry" tied to the April 2025 incident. CTP London said it would fully cooperate with the watchdog and that victims and families in both cases have been briefed.

Farage says he still trusts police, despite the admitted failure

Farage was blunt about what the self-referral means. "Clearly, counter-terrorism made some mistakes, which is why they referred themselves to the Independent Office of Police," he said, according to the Independent.

Asked directly if he still has confidence in the police, he said yes, but added they'd be "very scared of what the truth is when it comes out." He credited counter-terrorism leadership, including Laurence Taylor, for admitting the error rather than burying it. "The fact they've done that shows you they're not trying to cover up, they're not trying to ignore," he said.

Farage also argued Reform UK figures had been under-protected compared to other parties before Widdecombe's death. "It's a great, great tragedy that it took the death of Ann for the security services in Britain to finally take seriously the safety and security of Reform politicians," he said. He cited his own experience, saying that four days after the murder of Charlie Kirk, "I had nearly all of my security removed from me."

The Guardian's live coverage adds context that other outlets in this batch didn't emphasize as heavily. Farage first disclosed the arson incident publicly in an interview with the Telegraph earlier this year, more than a year after it reportedly happened. That interview landed at the same time the Guardian was preparing to report that Farage had received an undisclosed £5 million donation from cryptocurrency figure Christopher Harborne.

Farage has said the donation was unrelated to his political work and was intended to fund his personal security. The Guardian noted that "doubts were also raised about the arson story" after the Observer reported that police records showed an attempted burglary at Farage's home, not an arson attack, raising a discrepancy between what Farage described publicly and what was officially logged at the time.

At Monday's press conference, Farage pushed back on the framing that journalists had called him a liar over the arson claim, saying "most of the media organisations in this room called me a liar." The Guardian's own account disputes that characterization, saying it would be "very hard to find any mainstream media organisation that called him a liar," while noting reporters did question the timing of his disclosure relative to the donation story.

The actual substance of the link between the letterbox incident and Widdecombe's murder remains unresolved. Farage has offered no specifics beyond confirming a connection exists, and neither CTP London nor the IOPC has detailed what the missed "line of enquiry" was or how it connects Kerry to the earlier incident at Farage's home. The IOPC investigation into the officer's conduct is ongoing, and no timeline for its conclusion has been announced.