Prosecutor alleges extreme left‑wing motive behind terror plot targeting Nigel Farage

LONDON — A man accused of plotting a terror attack on Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and murdering former lawmaker Ann Widdecombe was driven by “extreme left‑wing” views, a prosecutor said Friday.

Prosecuting attorney Jonathan Polnay said Joshua Kerry’s assault on Ann Widdecombe is “inextricably linked” to a prior attempted break‑in at the home of Nigel Farage, Britain’s most prominent anti‑immigration politician. The prosecutor added that the two offences share a “terrorist connection.”

At a pretrial hearing at London’s Central Criminal Court, prosecutor Jonathan Polnay said Joshua Kerry researched the home and office addresses of several politicians, including Nigel Farage and Ann Widdecombe, over a two‑year span. Polnay described Kerry as having an “extreme left‑wing and/or anti‑establishment mindset” and being “particularly hostile” toward Reform UK.

Joshua Kerry, 28, has not yet been asked to plead. He appeared at the hearing by video link from Belmarsh high‑security prison, confirming his identity. Defense attorney Nicholas Lumley said Kerry is expected to contest all the charges.

Judge Bobbie Cheema‑Grubb set a trial date of 8 June next year.

Joshua Kerry was arrested in July and charged with the murder of 78‑year‑old Ann Widdecombe, whose body was discovered at her rural home in southwest England on 8 July. Prosecutors allege that Kerry drove 265 miles (425 km) from northern England and struck her 21 times with a hammer while she was eating lunch in her kitchen.

After a long career as a Conservative MP and government minister, Ann Widdecombe joined Reform UK. She was known for her outspoken, socially conservative positions, opposing abortion and the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights.

Following her death, counterterrorism officers reopened an investigation into a suspected firebomb and break‑in at Nigel Farage’s south‑London residence in April 2025. Prosecutors contend that the door was damaged with a knife and that Kerry’s DNA was recovered from a bottle of lighter fluid found on the porch.

Prosecutors charged Joshua Kerry last week with preparing terrorist acts, including plots against Nigel Farage, spanning from May 2024 up to the day Ann Widdecombe was murdered.

The killing of Ann Widdecombe has revived concerns about politician safety, prompting further tightening of security measures that have been in place for the past decade following the murders of two other lawmakers.

In 2016, Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed by a far‑right extremist, and in 2021 Conservative MP David Amess was stabbed by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group.

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