Britain02 October, 20262 min read
Counter Terrorism Policing Charges Joshua Kerry With Terror Plot Against Nigel Farage
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Joshua Kerry, 28, charged with one count of preparation of terrorist acts. Charge includes planning acts targeting Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader.
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Kerry charged over Farage
Counter Terrorism Policing charged Joshua Kerry, 28, with one count of preparation of terrorist acts that authorities say targeted Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, after police said they had been running a “hugely intensive and complex investigation for some time.” Counter Terrorism Policing also said Kerry was charged with the murder of former MP and Reform UK spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead on Thursday 9 July at her home in Haytor, Devon, after sustaining serious injuries. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she knew the fresh charge would be "extremely concerning" and added, "My profound sympathies are with Nigel Farage and his family."
Vicki Evans said the charge on Friday was the result of a “hugely intensive and complex investigation,” and she said the investigation had been led by “a dedicated team of detectives, analysts, and forensic experts.” Kerry, from Rotherham, was due to appear in court over the terror charge on Wednesday, police said.
Hammer killing details
Widdecombe was found dead on Thursday 9 July at her home in Haytor, Devon, and she had been appointed to ministerial roles in Sir John Major's government in the 1990s. Widdecombe, 78, died in July after being hit over the head with a hammer 21 times at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor, Devon, and she was found lying face down on her kitchen floor by her gardener on the morning of 9 July. Kerry was due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Wednesday, and Shabana Mahmood writing on X said “Let no one make any mistake: an attack on anyone in politics is an attack on us all.”
Frank Ferguson of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division said prosecutors "worked closely" with police to bring the charge, and Kerry was due to appear in court over the terror charge on Wednesday. Kerry was charged with activity alleged to have taken place between May 2024 and July 2026, and the charge related to alleged activity between May 2024 and July 2026.
Security questions and next steps
The charge relates to activity alleged to have taken place between 31 May 2024 and 8 July this year, and Kerry was charged by the Crown Prosecution Service on Friday with one count of preparation of terrorist acts. Vicki Evans described the investigation as “a hugely intensive and complex investigation,” and the investigation resulted in “this very serious charge.” Shabana Mahmood told the public the charge raised “serious questions” about the security of MPs, and she wrote on X that “We must use this as an opportunity to reset.”
“We must use this as an opportunity to reset.”
Kerry is due to appear in court over the terror charge on Wednesday, and Widdecombe had later become a Reform UK spokeswoman after appearing on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. Kerry is due to appear in court over the terror charge on Wednesday, and Widdecombe had later become a Reform UK spokeswoman after appearing on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing.