Ann Widdecombe supported Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in a pre-recorded interview just 20 minutes before her death, it emerged today.

Miss Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home on Thursday morning by a gardener, prompting a major murder investigation and manhunt. 

A 28-year-old man from Rotherham has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is being questioned by counter-terror police, who have now taken over the probe.

He was yesterday re-arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. 

Miss Widdecombe is now believed to have recorded her last interview for Christian radio station TWR-UK between 11.54am and 12.10pm on Wednesday.

Police believe she was attacked just minutes later at 12.30pm.

In the interview, the former MP and MEP, who was a spokesperson for Reform UK, was said to be in her true forthright manner as she vigorously defended Farage amid scrutiny over his finances. 

She backed his decision to call a by-election in his Essex constituency of Clacton-on-Sea amid speculation over a £5 million gift from a cryptocurrency billionaire, as well as donations to Reform UK itself.

The interview was not broadcast as it was due to be released later in the week. It has now been released with the permission of Miss Widdecombe’s family. 

The murder of Ann Widdecombe, pictured on a TV show two weeks ago, was last night being treated as a suspected politically motivated terrorist attack

The suspect was captured on CCTV leaving his property shortly before 8am on Wednesday with what appears to be a pole in the pocket of his shorts

Forensic officers were seen heading into the house in Rotherham after the arrest on Saturday

In a clip from the recording now broadcast on Times Radio, she was heard to say: ‘I think first of all the very long drawn out nature of this, which as I say has been constantly accompanied by press speculation, and also the fact he was answering to the standards committee for one thing and then suddenly another one came along, again applying to the time before he became an MP, indeed at a time when he wasn’t even an active politician. 

‘And he probably thinks, where is this going to end? Let’s bring an end to it, let’s bring this to a head, let’s put it to the people to see what they think of all of this.’

She also hit out at a ‘politics of personal destruction’, saying: ‘There has been a game now for a very long time, a game of personal destruction, not just for Nigel, for lots and lots of politicians that face this.’

Farage maintains that the £5 million gift was made in a personal capacity while he was not an active politician, and he therefore did not have to declare it. 

Interviewer James Maidment-Fullard said he had informed police of the interview but officers had not asked for the recording.

Miss Widdecombe was found dead in a pool of blood on her kitchen floor on Thursday, where police believe she had lain for around 24 hours.

Officers narrowed down the time they believe she was attacked after a car was captured on CCTV pulling onto the politician’s drive just before 12.30pm.

She had been due to appear on Channel 5’s 1pm Matt Allwright show, and had exchanged messages with a producer at 12.19pm about accessing a Zoom link.

But she suddenly stopped responding to them, with requests to join the link and subsequent phone calls going unanswered.

Floral tributes have been left on the grass outside Ms Widdecombe’s bungalow in Haytor, Dorset

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage lays flowers in memory of Miss Widdecombe last week 

Officers initially focused on a theory that Ms Widdecombe had disturbed a burglar at her home in Haytor, Dartmoor, even though nothing had been taken from the £600,000 property. 

Two days after the murder, detectives arrested a local labourer in error, before later detaining a 28-year-old man 270 miles away in Rotherham on Saturday night.

The suspect was seen getting into a car at a property in the town shortly before 8am on Wednesday while carrying a long object. 

Now, the Daily Mail has learnt that items of varying political ideology, including Russian material, have been found at the suspect’s home and on electronic devices.

But investigators do not believe there is any evidence of hostile state involvement.

Counter terrorism police are investigating whether the ‘lone wolf’ targeted Ms Widdecombe due to her political views, which she frequently expressed during regular appearances on TV and radio defending Reform as the party’s immigration and justice spokesman.

Sources said detectives had discovered material suggesting that political ideology could be a factor in the motive, though they stressed that the inquiry was still at an early stage.

The suspect, who lives alone with his dog, was arrested at his home at 9pm on Saturday, and is believed to have driven the 270 miles to Widdecombe’s home. 

He was not known to counter-terror programme Prevent, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed. 

Today it emerged that a relative of the suspect posted on social media questioning Nigel Farage’s security on the day that she died.

The suspect’s family member was commenting last Wednesday in the wake of Reform UK leader Farage’s decision to resign his seat in Clacton, triggering a by-election amid allegations about his political donations.

Her post asked other users on the platform if it was really too dangerous for the Reform MP to hold his surgeries in his constituency.