Zia Yusuf has blasted Labour MPs for comparing Reform to Nazis as he warned that attacks on politicians are an “assault on our democracy itself”.
Reform’s home affairs spokesman warned of a “narrative so relentless” against Nigel Farage and his allies that “it constitutes incitement”.
He declared Ann Widdecombe’s “brutal” killing must be a line in the sand.
Mr Yusuf said: “An attack on one politician is an assault on our democracy itself. Knowing Ann as I did, I know she would agree.”
He continued: “I can tell you about the climate in which she was killed: a relentless narrative from politicians and the media that Reform UK is a threat.
“A threat to be urgently stopped.
“A narrative so relentless it constitutes incitement.
“And why are we targeted like this? Because we say things that are unfashionable among many in Westminster, but are popular in the country at large.”
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, former Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former Home Office minister Jess Phillips all launched personal attacks on Miss Widdecombe before she died.
Mr Lammy called the former Tory minister a “poisonous bigot”, adding “we must stand up to them before it’s too late”.
Mr Streeting said: “If only science had a cure for Ann Widdecombe.”
When Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy was asked whether Reform were fascists, she responded: “If it walks like a duck…”
Mr Yusuf said: “Politicians from other parties are perfectly entitled to disagree with our policies and criticise them.
“They are, of course, free to criticise us.
“But they must stop equating us to murderous regimes that butchered tens of millions and committed some of the greatest horrors in history.
“The media should prosecute their role in holding all politicians to account, without stooping to endangering them or their families.
“And we must now ask ourselves if we wish to be a country which has a functioning democracy.”
Miss Widdecombe was “targeted” by the alleged assailant, detectives probing the murder revealed.
And investigators are now examining whether the 28-year-old suspect was also plotting to attack other Reform politicians.
A spokesman for the leader of the opposition Kemi Badenoch said: “Reform is all too happy to dish it out and not happy to take it. There is no party that is immune to criticism in politics, and that applies equally to every single party.
“I think it’s ironic that Zia Yousef is the one that’s saying it when he has spent a lot of time calling Tory MPs traitors and a lot worse on Twitter, and is now accusing other parties of incitement.
Police investigate Ann Widdecombe’s death (Image: Getty)
“Obviously, the murder of Ann Widdecombe is a tragic event, and that must be kept in mind.
“But there’s fundamentally an issue here where Reform is happy to hold themselves to a different standard to everyone else.
“Kemi gets an absolute fair share as a politician of threats, of abuse, of intimidation, but she does not go around making a song and dance out of it.”
Reform used an emergency press conference on Wednesday to call for the budget for additional security for MPs to be raised from around £4 million to up to £100 million to provide full security for all who want it.
Ann Widdecombe: Counter-terrorism police share update
When Mr Yusu was asked whether he would look at his own rhetoric if he was asking other parties to do the same, he suggested there was a “clear difference” between what he had said and what other parties had said.
“Likening Reform to the Nazis, likening Reform to the fascists, regimes that are clearly the most brutal and horrific in history and saying they pose an urgent threat that needs to be stopped, I think those are in different categories,” he said.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has faced calls to introduce security buffers around MPs’ constituency offices and surgeries.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said “we must do more to defend our democracy” following Miss Widdecombe’s murder.
The outgoing Prime Minister said it was “chilling” that three sitting or former MPs had been murdered during his 11 years in Parliament.
Ann Widdecombe defends Farage during radio interview before attack
The Prime Minister said: “I believe we must do more to defend our democracy.
“I have tasked officials across government to identify the best mechanisms for taking this work forward, so it can move as quickly as possible.
“And I hope the whole House can unite behind that in the months ahead.”
Incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham has also said a “serious review” is needed into MPs’ security.
Zia Yusuf has blasted Labour MPs for comparing Reform to Nazis as he warned that attacks on politicians are an “assault on our democracy itself”.
Reform’s home affairs spokesman warned of a “narrative so relentless” against Nigel Farage and his allies that “it constitutes incitement”.
He declared Ann Widdecombe’s “brutal” killing must be a line in the sand.
Mr Yusuf said: “An attack on one politician is an assault on our democracy itself. Knowing Ann as I did, I know she would agree.”
He continued: “I can tell you about the climate in which she was killed: a relentless narrative from politicians and the media that Reform UK is a threat.
“A threat to be urgently stopped.
“A narrative so relentless it constitutes incitement.
“And why are we targeted like this? Because we say things that are unfashionable among many in Westminster, but are popular in the country at large.”
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, former Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former Home Office minister Jess Phillips all launched personal attacks on Miss Widdecombe before she died.
Mr Lammy called the former Tory minister a “poisonous bigot”, adding “we must stand up to them before it’s too late”.
Mr Streeting said: “If only science had a cure for Ann Widdecombe.”
When Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy was asked whether Reform were fascists, she responded: “If it walks like a duck…”
Mr Yusuf said: “Politicians from other parties are perfectly entitled to disagree with our policies and criticise them.
“They are, of course, free to criticise us.
“But they must stop equating us to murderous regimes that butchered tens of millions and committed some of the greatest horrors in history.
“The media should prosecute their role in holding all politicians to account, without stooping to endangering them or their families.
“And we must now ask ourselves if we wish to be a country which has a functioning democracy.”
Miss Widdecombe was “targeted” by the alleged assailant, detectives probing the murder revealed.
And investigators are now examining whether the 28-year-old suspect was also plotting to attack other Reform politicians.
A spokesman for the leader of the opposition Kemi Badenoch said: “Reform is all too happy to dish it out and not happy to take it. There is no party that is immune to criticism in politics, and that applies equally to every single party.
“I think it’s ironic that Zia Yousef is the one that’s saying it when he has spent a lot of time calling Tory MPs traitors and a lot worse on Twitter, and is now accusing other parties of incitement.
Police investigate Ann Widdecombe’s death (Image: Getty)
“Obviously, the murder of Ann Widdecombe is a tragic event, and that must be kept in mind.
“But there’s fundamentally an issue here where Reform is happy to hold themselves to a different standard to everyone else.
“Kemi gets an absolute fair share as a politician of threats, of abuse, of intimidation, but she does not go around making a song and dance out of it.”
Reform used an emergency press conference on Wednesday to call for the budget for additional security for MPs to be raised from around £4 million to up to £100 million to provide full security for all who want it.
Ann Widdecombe: Counter-terrorism police share update
When Mr Yusu was asked whether he would look at his own rhetoric if he was asking other parties to do the same, he suggested there was a “clear difference” between what he had said and what other parties had said.
“Likening Reform to the Nazis, likening Reform to the fascists, regimes that are clearly the most brutal and horrific in history and saying they pose an urgent threat that needs to be stopped, I think those are in different categories,” he said.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has faced calls to introduce security buffers around MPs’ constituency offices and surgeries.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said “we must do more to defend our democracy” following Miss Widdecombe’s murder.
The outgoing Prime Minister said it was “chilling” that three sitting or former MPs had been murdered during his 11 years in Parliament.
Ann Widdecombe defends Farage during radio interview before attack
The Prime Minister said: “I believe we must do more to defend our democracy.
“I have tasked officials across government to identify the best mechanisms for taking this work forward, so it can move as quickly as possible.
“And I hope the whole House can unite behind that in the months ahead.”
Incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham has also said a “serious review” is needed into MPs’ security.