Aberdeen University Launches Urgent Review After Staff Member’s Remarks About Ann Widdecombe’s Death

A University of Aberdeen employee who previously stood for Scottish Labour and the Scottish Greens is facing an internal review after publishing deeply offensive comments about the death of former Conservative minister Ann Widdecombe.

The University of Aberdeen has launched an urgent review after a member of staff posted comments on social media appearing to celebrate the violent death of veteran politician Ann Widdecombe.

Heather Herbert, a web application developer at the university and a former political candidate, published the remarks on Bluesky on Friday, 10 July, shortly after news of Ms Widdecombe’s death emerged.

Responding to an early report, Herbert described the development as “some good news for once” and said she hoped the former MP had suffered an “extremely painful death”. A further post referred to Ms Widdecombe being restrained while in pain.

The comments were published before police publicly confirmed that they were treating the death as murder.

University distances itself from comments

The University of Aberdeen said the posts represented Herbert’s personal views and did not reflect the institution’s position.

A university spokesperson said:

“The University is aware of social media posts made by a member of staff regarding the death of Ann Widdecombe and is reviewing this as a matter of priority.

“The comments that have been shared are entirely the individual’s own and do not represent the views of the University of Aberdeen.

“Complaints into any member of staff are handled confidentially through our established processes.”

Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Edwards also said the university did not tolerate violence or hateful conduct and was examining the concerns raised as a priority.

Herbert has previously stood as a Scottish Labour candidate for Aberdeen Donside and later contested an election for the Scottish Greens. Electoral records confirm Herbert’s earlier candidacy, although neither political party is responsible for comments made years later in a personal capacity.

Widdecombe killed in targeted attack

Ms Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her rural home near Dartmoor in Devon on Thursday, 9 July, after suffering serious injuries.

A 28-year-old man was arrested in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Counter Terrorism Policing subsequently took control of the investigation after new evidence emerged, describing Ms Widdecombe’s death as a “targeted attack”.

Investigators are considering several possible motives. The suspect had not been charged at the time of writing, and the allegations against him remain unproven.

The latest police assessment represents a significant development from the early stages of the case, when officers said there was no apparent terrorism connection. It also underlines the importance of avoiding speculation while detectives continue to establish what happened and why.

Herbert refuses to withdraw remarks

Following criticism, Herbert reportedly declined to apologise, while insisting that the posts should not be interpreted as support for murder.

Herbert said:

“I don’t want to see anyone murdered, but I’m still glad she is dead. I’m not a hypocrite.”

Herbert argued that Ms Widdecombe had used political power to support policies that caused suffering to ordinary people.

The reference to restraints appeared to allude to a controversial prison policy defended by Ms Widdecombe while she served as prisons minister in the 1990s. The policy permitted pregnant prisoners to be restrained during hospital treatment and, in some circumstances, while giving birth.

That political history helps explain the anger felt by some of Ms Widdecombe’s opponents. It does not, however, make expressions of pleasure at a person’s violent death less disturbing.

Political disagreement cannot erase humanity

Ms Widdecombe was one of Britain’s most divisive political personalities. Her positions on criminal justice, abortion, immigration and LGBT rights brought her admiration from supporters and fierce opposition from campaigners.

Those policies remain legitimate subjects for criticism. Her record should not be sanitised simply because she has died, and people affected by political decisions cannot reasonably be expected to forget the consequences.

But there is a clear moral difference between examining a public figure’s legacy and wishing that person suffered during an apparent murder.

That distinction matters even more at a time when political debate increasingly reduces people to symbols, enemies or targets. A social-media post may take only seconds to publish, yet its language can contribute to a wider atmosphere in which cruelty is treated as entertainment and empathy is dismissed as weakness.

One online critic captured that discomfort, writing that although they had never supported Ms Widdecombe or agreed with her politics, celebrating the death of another human being was wrong.

It is a simple observation, but an important one. Democracy depends on the ability to oppose someone’s ideas without abandoning their humanity.

A difficult test for universities

The controversy also presents the University of Aberdeen with a sensitive employment and free-expression question.

Universities should not police every political opinion expressed by members of staff in their private lives. Employees retain the right to hold controversial beliefs, and an institution’s workforce cannot be expected to speak with one voice.

Nevertheless, universities also have responsibilities towards their communities and reputations. When a publicly identifiable employee appears to welcome an exceptionally violent death, the issue moves beyond ordinary political disagreement.

The university must now establish whether its staff policies were breached, while ensuring that its process remains fair and confidential. An urgent review should not be confused with a predetermined verdict.

Tributes to a formidable political figure

Ms Widdecombe served as a Conservative MP for 23 years and held ministerial positions at the Home Office. She later represented the Brexit Party in the European Parliament and became a prominent Reform UK spokeswoman.

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice described her as an “absolute colossus” and said he had been shocked and horrified by the news.

Political figures from several parties have acknowledged Ms Widdecombe’s long career in public life, even where they strongly disagreed with her views. Her killing has also renewed concerns about threats and violence directed at politicians and other prominent public figures.

The investigation into her death must now be allowed to proceed on evidence rather than online rumour or political point-scoring.

There will be time for a full and unsparing examination of Ann Widdecombe’s political legacy. For the moment, the most human response is neither compulsory admiration nor dishonest silence about her record.

It is the recognition that political anger should never require us to celebrate suffering — and that a society loses something precious when another person’s violent death becomes an occasion for applause.