Joshua Kerry, 28, of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, has been charged with engaging in conduct in preparation of acts of terrorism, including against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. He was already accused of murdering Ann Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister who later became a spokesperson for Reform UK, a right-wing anti-immigration party.

The Crown Prosecution Service brought the single charge on Friday. Counter-terrorism police said it relates to activity alleged to have taken place between 31 May 2024 and 8 July this year. Police have not given details of what Kerry is alleged to have planned. Kerry is due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Wednesday, 7 October, according to the sources.

Vicki Evans, head of counter-terrorism policing, described a "hugely intensive and complex investigation" led by detectives, analysts and forensic experts pursuing multiple lines of enquiry. Widdecombe, 78, died in July at her home in Haytor, a village on Dartmoor in Devon, south-west England. A court previously heard she was struck 21 times on the head with a hammer and found on her kitchen floor by her gardener on the morning of 9 July. Spanish reporting, citing the prosecution, said Kerry drove more than 400 kilometres from Rotherham and that a camera inside the house recorded the attack. At a July hearing he spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address, and was not asked to enter a plea.

The case has also drawn attention to an earlier incident. In August, counter-terrorism police reopened an investigation into an alleged firebomb attack at Farage's home in south London, which took place about a year earlier. It had originally been treated by the Metropolitan Police and counter-terrorism officers as an attempted burglary, and no arrests were made. After reopening the case, police said they had identified a line of inquiry that may have been relevant but had not been pursued at the time. The sources do not say whether this is linked to the new charge.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the charge raised "serious questions" about the security of people in public life. She expressed sympathy for Farage and his family, said an attack on anyone in politics is an attack on everyone, and promised an update on strengthened protections once parliament returns. Olivia Field, chief executive of the Jo Cox Foundation, set up in memory of the Labour MP murdered in West Yorkshire in 2016, called for action against rising abuse and intimidation in politics, from online safety and political education to proper security for politicians, their staff and families.

The case matters because it joins a long-running debate in the UK about the safety of politicians, which has intensified since Jo Cox's killing. Farage has previously spoken about threats against him, and the government has increased his security.