Dehumanising politicians is the first step towards justifying their elimination. It matters more than ever to keep putting the person back into the picture, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff

The BBC was under fire today after inviting a left-wing activist who said 'a lot of people won't be grieving' Ann Widdecombe's murder onto its Politics Live show.

Former Tory minister is the third national politician in Britain to be murdered in a decade