A transgender former Labour candidate and University of Aberdeen employee is facing investigations after posting messages celebrating the murder of former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, including saying he hoped the veteran politician had suffered before she died.
Heather Herbert, a biological male and web developer at the University of Aberdeen, wrote on Bluesky shortly after news of Widdecombe's death emerged: "Some good news for once. I hope it was an extremely painful death." In a separate post, Herbert, a former Labour candidate for Aberdeen Donside, added: "I hope she was handcuffed to the bed as she screamed in agony."
The posts were made before police announced they were treating Widdecombe's death as a murder investigation. Following complaints from members of the public, the University of Aberdeen confirmed it is reviewing the comments as a matter of priority. Police Scotland initially found there was no criminality around the posts, but have now revealed “additional inquiries” are underway.
A spokesperson told The Sun: “We received reports on Saturday, 11 July, 2026 relating to a post made online. Following further assessment, additional inquiries are being carried out.” Herbert doubled down on the remarks, telling a student newspaper "I am glad [Widdecombe] is dead" and declining to apologize for the remarks.
Broadcaster Piers Morgan described the reaction to Widdecombe's death as "despicably cruel, heartless and abusive." Author J.K. Rowling noted that several media outlets referred to Herbert as a female. "The issuer of that vile statement is a man, as anyone with even 1% vision could tell you," Rowling said. "Specifically, he's a man who said he hoped she died handcuffed to a bed and screaming in agony."
The controversy comes as police continue investigating the circumstances surrounding Widdecombe's death, while the University of Aberdeen considers whether Herbert's public comments breached its standards of conduct.
