UK to Extend Police Protection to Non-MP Political Figures After Widdecombe Killing

The UK government has announced that political figures who do not currently sit in Parliament will be granted police protection, in a significant expansion of security arrangements prompted by growing concerns over the safety of people in public life.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told MPs on Monday that there was "insufficient protection" for those serving the public, and confirmed that the new measures would extend to peers, former MPs and party spokespeople. The announcement marks a notable shift in a system that has historically concentrated protective resources on sitting members of Parliament.

Mahmood said the support would include access to a named police officer as well as assistance with wider security measures, though she did not provide further detail on the operational specifics of the scheme. The move is intended to close what ministers now acknowledge has been a gap in the safety net for prominent political figures who fall outside the traditional parliamentary framework.

Speaking in the Commons, the home secretary framed the decision in principled terms, describing politics as a calling for those who serve. She argued that while robust debate and criticism are an inherent part of the job, threats, abuse and violence have no place in democratic life. "We owe it to them and to everyone who believes in a fair and open country to ensure that those who serve at all levels receive the protection they deserve," she said.

Alongside the expansion of police support, Mahmood announced an urgent independent review of security arrangements for high-profile figures, including politicians and members of the Royal Family. The "root and branch" review will be led by former national security adviser Stephen Lovegrove and will examine physical threats, online risks and the dangers arising from an increasingly polarised society.

The review is expected to report within six months. Mahmood said it would complement the separate work already under way by Sir Robert Buckland, who is leading a distinct review into the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess.

The timing of the announcement reflects mounting pressure on the government following the death of Ann Widdecombe, the Reform UK spokeswoman and former Conservative MP, who was found dead at her home in Devon three months ago after sustaining serious injuries. Joshua Kerry, 28, has been charged with her murder. He has also been charged with preparing acts of terror against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

The case has intensified scrutiny of the risks faced by political campaigners and commentators who hold public profiles but do not enjoy the protections afforded to sitting MPs. Widdecombe's killing followed years of warnings from MPs and security officials that the threat environment facing elected representatives and their staff was worsening.

The safety of politicians has become an increasingly prominent issue in British public life. The murders of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016 and Conservative MP Sir David Amess in 2021 shocked the political establishment and led to successive reviews of how lawmakers are protected. Despite those reforms, concerns have persisted that the measures in place remain inadequate for a political culture that has grown more volatile.

Data released to the BBC in April illustrates the scale of the problem. The number of alleged offences against MPs has risen year on year, with 976 recorded in 2025 compared with 364 in 2019. Between 2019 and 2025, MPs reported 4,064 crimes to the Metropolitan Police's Parliamentary Liaison Team. Most of those offences related to malicious communications, followed by harassment and criminal damage to buildings.

The figures also show a sharp rise in the most serious category of threat. In 2025, there were 50 death threats reported, up from 31 the previous year, underscoring the increasingly hostile environment in which many politicians operate.

The political response to the home secretary's statement has been broadly supportive, though not without criticism. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp welcomed the extension of protective measures, describing threats to elected representatives as threats to democracy itself.

Reform UK's home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf also welcomed the review, but struck a critical note about the government's timing. He said it was disappointing that it had taken the murder of one of the party's colleagues, countless threats towards its spokespeople and months of campaigning to prompt action from ministers.

The announcement is likely to raise practical questions about how the expanded protection will be funded, administered and prioritised, particularly given the pressure already on police resources. Forces across the country are balancing counter-terrorism duties, local crime prevention and the growing demand for protection of public figures, and the review may recommend structural changes to how those responsibilities are divided.

For now, the government's position is that the current arrangements leave too many people exposed. The combination of immediate support for non-MPs and a wider security review signals a recognition in Whitehall that the threat landscape has changed, and that the protections designed for an earlier era may no longer be sufficient for the realities of modern political life.