Nigel Farage’s concerns about his personal security were not always believed or acted upon, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice has said, after a man accused of murdering Ann Widdecombe was charged with preparing terrorist acts allegedly involving the party leader.
Joshua Kerry, 28, was charged on Friday with one count of preparing acts of terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2006. Police said the alleged preparations, carried out between May 2024 and July 2026, included actions planned against Mr Farage.
Kerry, from Rotherham, had already been charged in July with murdering Ms Widdecombe, the former Reform UK spokeswoman and Conservative minister, who was found dead at her remote home in Devon on July 9.
Mr Tice said the latest charges had caused “deep shock” and described it as “particularly upsetting” that Mr Farage had sometimes not been listened to when raising concerns about threats to his safety.
“With regard to Nigel Farage his security and the risks to it – he has talked about on many occasions over many years – and I think what is particularly upsetting for those around him is sometimes he is not being believed or listened to,” he told the BBC.
He said Ms Widdecombe’s death had “without question” made people take security more seriously, describing it as a “significant wake up call” that had also had a major personal impact.
Security measures for Reform UK figures
Mr Tice said Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood had followed up on a promise made in July to discuss Mr Farage’s security. He said several high-level meetings had taken place involving Reform UK.
“Obviously things are kept under close and constant review with regards to the information and intel I now get on threats towards myself and others,” he told Radio 4’s Today programme. “It is a very significant shift in the approach taken by the authorities and we appreciate that.”
Mr Tice also disclosed that his own security arrangements had changed after an incident near Parliament prompted an immediate police response.
“I now have security arrangements and one is constantly thinking when you are in any building ‘do we know the back exit? Do we know the front exit?’,” he said.
He warned that abuse and threats directed at MPs, particularly female MPs, were deterring people from entering public life and making democracy less accessible.
“Not only is it wrong and horrendous in itself but of course the broader picture in politics and public life is that it acts as a deterrent to other good people who are thinking about making a difference,” he said.
Mr Tice said the area around the Houses of Parliament was a particularly difficult security environment, with lone individuals and others gathering there. He said armed police had previously attended at “very great speed and at very short notice” after a personal threat.
He also rejected the suggestion that Reform UK had helped intensify political hostility online and contributed to the threats faced by its politicians.
Mr Tice said robust political debate should remain separate from violence, adding: “The passions that flow through democratic debate should be completely separate to the way that people respond and it’s not an excuse to say ‘I didn’t like those words so I am going to attack someone!’”
Ms Mahmood said an attack on anyone in politics was “an attack on us all” and has pledged to update Parliament on work to strengthen protections for people who choose to serve.
Reform UK said the latest allegations showed why Mr Farage had needed £5 million to protect his security for life. The party leader is facing a parliamentary standards watchdog investigation into a £5 million gift from billionaire donor Christopher Harborne, which he has said was intended to fund his personal security because of the threats he faced.
Kerry is due to appear in court on Wednesday over the terrorism charge. Frank Ferguson, of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said prosecutors had worked closely with police and would continue to do so as the investigation continued.
