Counterterror Bombshell: Nigel Farage In The Crosshairs

Police officers detain a handcuffed person at night — Photo: Eduard Goricev / Shutterstock

British counterterrorism police have charged the man accused of murdering former UK minister Ann Widdecombe with also plotting a terror attack on Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

Story Snapshot

Joshua Kerry, 28, of Rotherham, England, faces one count of preparing terrorist acts.
Counter Terrorism Policing says the charge names Nigel Farage as an alleged target.
The alleged plotting spans May 31, 2024, through July 8, 2026.
Kerry already faced charges in the bludgeoning death of Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister.
Reform UK’s deputy leader says Farage’s security warnings went unheeded.

Charge Details Name Farage As Target

Counter Terrorism Policing announced on October 2 that Joshua Kerry was charged with “engaging in conduct in preparation of acts of terrorism, including against Nigel Farage MP.” The charge falls under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006. Kerry, who lives on Byrley Road in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, faces one count tied to activity police say happened over roughly two years.

Prosecutors say the alleged preparation took place between May 31, 2024, and July 8, 2026. The Crown Prosecution Service approved the charge after what police called a long and complicated investigation. Kerry is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London, where he will face the terrorism count alongside his separate murder charge.

Widdecombe Killing Preceded Terror Charge

Kerry stands accused of killing Ann Widdecombe, a former Conservative Party minister, in an attack police describe as a bludgeoning with a hammer. That case moved through the courts first. The new terrorism charge adds a second, separate track to his prosecution, one focused not on a completed crime but on alleged planning against a sitting member of Parliament.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said the case required an intensive, complex investigation that ran for some time before charges came together. She did not detail what specific conduct investigators point to, but the charge itself covers a broad window of alleged activity rather than one single incident.

How UK Law Treats Early-Stage Plots

Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 lets British prosecutors charge people well before any weapon is obtained or an attack is attempted. Independent reviews of the law note that attack-planning conduct can range from very early research to plots stopped at the last minute. The offense only requires a general intent to commit or assist terrorism, not a finished plan against one named person.

That legal structure means a terrorism charge can rest on conduct many readers might not expect, including communications or research steps short of any physical act. The maximum sentence for the offense is life in prison, making it one of the most serious charges British prosecutors can bring.

Farage Allies Say Warnings Were Ignored

Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, said Farage had “not been listened to” over years of raising safety concerns, calling the new charge proof those warnings deserved more attention. Tice said Farage has repeatedly flagged threats against him, and he described the charge as a stark confirmation of risks officials downplayed.

The case lands amid wider public debate in Britain over how seriously authorities treat threats against elected officials, particularly those from populist and right-leaning parties. Farage has built Reform UK into a major political force, and any threat against a sitting party leader draws scrutiny of how police and prosecutors handle security for public figures.

The alleged killer of the former MP Ann Widdecombe has been charged with a terror plot against Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK.

Joshua Kerry, accused of murdering Widdecombe at her remote Devon home over the summer, will also face trial for alleged terrorism.

Police and… pic.twitter.com/kw9AKGxpKj

— Jennifer Thetford-Kay (@JenKteach) October 3, 2026

Kerry has not entered a plea on the terrorism count, and the case will proceed through London’s court system alongside the separate murder prosecution. Both cases remain active, with further hearings expected as prosecutors lay out their evidence in court.