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Widdecombe murder suspect charged with preparing terror acts including against Farage

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 10 outlets across the spectrum.

10 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

British police charged Joshua Kerry, 28, of Rotherham, with one count of preparation of terrorist acts, including activity aimed at Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. Kerry was already charged in July with the murder of Ann Widdecombe, 78, a former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman, who was found dead at her Devon home. The terrorism charge relates to conduct alleged to have occurred between May 31, 2024 and July 8, 2026. Counter Terrorism Policing's Vicki Evans described the case as the result of a “hugely intensive and complex investigation.” Kerry is due to appear in court, with some outlets citing October 7 at a London magistrates’ court. Prosecutors say Widdecombe was struck with a hammer multiple times during the attack.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Joshua Kerry, 28, was charged with one count of preparation of terrorist acts, including against Nigel Farage.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. Kerry was previously charged with the murder of Ann Widdecombe.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  3. The terrorism charge relates to conduct between May 31, 2024 and July 8, 2026.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  4. Counter Terrorism Policing's Vicki Evans called the investigation 'hugely intensive and complex.'

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  5. Widdecombe was allegedly struck 21 times with a hammer.

    Reported byCenterRight

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. Kerry is due to appear in court, cited by some as October 7 at a London magistrates' court.

    Reported byLeftCenter

  2. Farage's deputy said Farage's prior complaints about threats to his safety were not acted upon.

    Reported byRight

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • Whether Farage's safety concerns were adequately addressed by authorities before the charge.

    The Washington Times reports, via Farage's deputy, that Farage was 'not being listened to' regarding safety threats; other outlets do not address this claim.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    3 outlets

    Left outlets uniformly lead with the terrorism charge tied to both Widdecombe's murder and the plot against Farage, using near-identical factual phrasing.

    Widdecombe Suspect Charged in Planning Terror Act Against Farage
    BloombergLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    4 outlets

    Center outlets similarly emphasize the dual charges, with Deutsche Welle additionally noting Farage's political description and broader context of attacks on UK politicians.

    UK: Man charged with planning to attack Nigel Farage
    Deutsche WelleCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    3 outlets

    Right outlets include more descriptive or dramatic language about the attack and, in the Washington Times' case, shift focus to Farage's safety complaints rather than the charge itself.

    Farage 'not being listened to' on safety threats, deputy says after terror plot charge
    The Washington TimesRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center1

    far-right politician

  • Right5

    alleged assassinconcocting a terror plotBrexit bossAnti-immigration

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded modifier

    far-right politicianMore neutral: Reform UK leader

    Labels Farage with a politically charged descriptor rather than a neutral title, which many readers would contest as accurate.

    A man has been charged with planning acts of terrorism, including against far-right politician and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, British police said.

    Used byDeutsche Welle (Center)

  • Sensational language

    alleged assassinMore neutral: man accused of killing

    Uses a dramatic term implying a completed assassination rather than the factual charge of murder.

    The alleged assassin of former Conservative government minister Ann Widdecombe has been charged with…

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    concocting a terror plotMore neutral: preparing a terror plot

    ‘Concocting’ implies scheming and intent beyond what the formal charge states.

    …former Conservative government minister Ann Widdecombe has been charged with concocting a terror plot against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, Crown Prosecutors have announced.

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Partisan shorthand

    Brexit bossMore neutral: Reform UK leader

    Informal, politically loaded nickname for Farage rather than a neutral title.

    …a separate trial over allegedly preparing for acts of terrorism, including against Brexit boss Nigel Farage.

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

Show 2 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded modifier

    Anti-immigrationMore neutral: Reform UK party

    Frames Farage's party primarily through a contested policy label rather than neutral description.

    Anti-immigration Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage was ignored when he complained of threats to…

    Used byThe Washington Times (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    was ignoredMore neutral: said his complaints were not addressed

    States as fact that Farage's complaints were dismissed, when this is an allegation attributed to his deputy.

    Anti-immigration Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage was ignored when he complained of threats to his safety, his deputy said Saturday after the man…

    Used byThe Washington Times (Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

3 outlets

Leads with

  • Legal charge details
  • Kerry's identity and background
  • Connection to Widdecombe's murder

Leaves out

  • Widdecombe's cause of death details (hammer attack specifics)

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • BloombergLeft

    Widdecombe Suspect Charged in Planning Terror Act Against Farage

    The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute a 28-year-old man for preparing acts of terrorism, including against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, according to a statement.

    Read at Bloomberg (opens in a new tab)
  • The GuardianLeft

    Ann Widdecombe murder suspect charged with planning terror act against Nigel Farage

    Joshua Kerry, 28, of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, charged with one count of preparation of terrorist acts, say police The man accused of murdering Ann Widdecombe has been charged with engaging in conduct in preparation of acts of terrorism including against Nigel Farage, police …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)
  • The New York TimesLeft

    Widdecombe Murder Suspect Charged With Preparing Acts of Terrorism, Including Against Farage

    Joshua Kerry, a 28-year-old British man accused of killing the former lawmaker Ann Widdecombe, was charged on Friday.

    Read at The New York Times (opens in a new tab)

From the center

4 outlets

Leads with

  • Police investigation details
  • Direct quotes from officials
  • Timeline of charges
See the 4 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

3 outlets

Leads with

  • Details of the alleged murder attack
  • Farage's safety concerns
  • Political reaction

Leaves out

  • Specific terrorism charge timeline details

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Washington TimesRight

    Farage 'not being listened to' on safety threats, deputy says after terror plot charge

    Loaded modifier“Anti-immigration”Frames Farage's party primarily through a contested policy label rather than neutral description.More neutral: Reform UK partyDisagree with this highlight? Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage Loaded verb“was ignored”States as fact that Farage's complaints were dismissed, when this is an allegation attributed to his deputy.More neutral: said his complaints were not addressedDisagree with this highlight? when he complained of threats to his safety, his deputy said Saturday after the man accused of killing former British politician Ann Widdecombe was charged with plotting a terror attack against Farage.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)
  • Breitbart NewsFar Right

    Man Accused of Murdering Ann Widdecombe Charged with Terror Plot on Nigel Farage

    The alleged assassin of former Conservative government minister Ann Widdecombe has been charged with concocting a terror plot against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, Crown Prosecutors have announced.

    Read at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    UK man accused of planning terrorism acts against Nigel Farage also charged in murder of another politician

    British prosecutors charged Ann Widdecombe murder suspect Joshua Kerry with preparing terrorist acts allegedly targeting Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    12 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 2, 3:00 PM EDT

  • Center

    First to report

    Sky News, Oct 2, 2:56 AM EDT

  • Right

    14 hr 11 min later

    Its first report, Oct 2, 5:07 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Sky NewsCenterOct 2, 2:56 AM EDT
  2. BBC NewsCenterOct 2, 2:46 PM EDT
  3. The New York TimesLeftOct 2, 3:00 PM EDT
  4. The GuardianLeftOct 2, 3:15 PM EDT
  5. BloombergLeftOct 2, 3:23 PM EDT
  6. Financial TimesCenterOct 2, 3:47 PM EDT
  7. Deutsche WelleCenterOct 2, 4:38 PM EDT
  8. Fox NewsFar RightOct 2, 5:07 PM EDT
  9. Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 3, 12:05 PM EDT
  10. The Washington TimesRightOct 3, 12:14 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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