British police arrest a man after death threats against populist Nigel Farage

London.- A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of allegedly attempting to threaten the life of the leader of the British right-wing populist party Reform UK, Nigel Farage, the London Metropolitan Police (Met Police) reported this Wednesday.

In a brief statement, police authorities indicated that a man was arrested yesterday, Tuesday, July 14, at a residence in south London on suspicion of “sending threatening communications” to a member of the British Parliament, although without specifying who.

Read more: Police arrest man in flagrante delicto accused of wounding his ex-partner in Los Guaricanos

However, the Met Police’s confirmation comes after the British newspaper The Telegraph published this Wednesday that Farage had received death threats on social media from a user before the last local and regional elections in the United Kingdom, held on May 7.

Specifically, the message that allegedly triggered the investigation -published on the social network X- was directed at the leader of Reform UK, and said: “I’m going to shoot you in the head if you win,” according to The Telegraph.

The post under investigation, according to the Met Police, was reported to the authorities one day after the election, on May 8, and, after filing the complaint, detectives requested access from the platform to the contact details and user information.

After gathering this information, the arrest was carried out this Tuesday. The suspect remained in police custody overnight and was subsequently released on bail pending further investigation.

The suspect’s arrest comes just days after the murder of the 78-year-old former British MP Ann Widdecombe, who was also a spokesperson for Reform UK, at her home in Devon (southeast England) and amid a debate over the security provided to both sitting and former parliamentarians.

“This is the first time the police have acted proactively regarding a social media post,” Farage told The Telegraph after hearing the news. “If the police now decide to act to protect the lives of active and retired politicians, then something good will have come from Ann’s horrible death.”

Farage himself announced his resignation as MP for Clacton (southeast England) last week to force a by-election in that constituency amid several funding scandals, and in the same speech he expressed concern about his safety and that of his family members, as well as the threats received over the years on social media.