A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the incident, police have said.
Devon and Cornwall Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman told a press conference there was “no information that this is a politically motivated crime” and also confirmed the incident was not being treated as terror-related.
Earlier, the force said Widdecombe was found dead with serious injuries at her home in Haytor, a village on Dartmoor, on Thursday morning when officers were called by the ambulance service at around 11:40 BST.
Widdecombe’s death was announced on Friday morning by her management team, but there was no information about when, how or where she died, and no detail on any suspicious circumstances.
The statement said in part: “We know this news will come as a great shock to the many colleagues and friends she made along the way.”
Later on Friday afternoon, police issued a statement saying they had launched a murder investigation and released details of a suspect.
Widdecombe’s management team then released another statement, saying they were “absolutely devastated” by news of the police investigation “following a very traumatic and upsetting 24 hours”.
A significant police presence remains at the house, with a BBC correspondent describing several police cars on the road outside and a police van on the driveway.
