Natalie Fleet, the Labour minister responsible for women's safety, issued an apology on July 13, 2026, for a tweet that accused Nigel Farage and the Reform UK party of "faux outrage" following the death of former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe.
Fleet, the Member of Parliament for Bolsover, had written on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that Farage and his associates received the same security as other politicians and that she was "sick of the faux outrage." Her comments were made after Reform UK figures raised concerns about the security provided to their MPs in the wake of Widdecombe's suspected murder.
Widdecombe, a former Tory minister and later a Reform UK spokeswoman, was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor on Thursday. A 28-year-old man was initially arrested on suspicion of murder and has since been re-arrested on suspicion of committing, preparing, or instigating acts of terrorism.
Following criticism, including from Reform MP Lee Anderson, Fleet deleted her tweet and stated, "Apologies for offence caused by my earlier tweet, which I've now deleted. My thoughts are - as they have always been - with Ann Widdecombe's loved ones at this awful time."
The death of the 78-year-old Widdecombe has reignited concerns about the safety of politicians in the United Kingdom. Reform UK representatives have claimed their MPs receive "no protection whatsoever," a sentiment that reportedly angered Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and parliamentary officials.
Farage had previously commented on the incident, suggesting the attack was "premeditated murder" and noting that a car had appeared on Widdecombe's driveway the day before her death. He also stated, "I don't think it pays at this moment in time to speculate."
Downing Street has urged the public to protect the integrity of the investigation and cautioned against speculation. However, Reform UK's home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, criticized these warnings, interpreting "Don't speculate!" as a directive to "shut up and accept the establishment narrative." He also posted that authorities offered no information but admonished those who asked questions for speculating.