Labour MP Dan Norris has been arrested on suspicion of rape, child sex offences, child abduction and misconduct in a public office.
The Labour Party confirmed it “immediately suspended” the North East Somerset and Hanham MP after learning of the arrest. Avon and Somerset Police said a man in his 60s was arrested on Friday and later released on conditional bail.
Norris, 65, was elected to the newly formed North East Somerset and Hanham constituency in 2024, defeating former Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg. He previously served as the MP for Wansdyke between 1997 and 2010, and held roles including junior minister under Gordon Brown and assistant whip under Tony Blair.
He has also served as the Mayor of the West of England since 2021, although he is due to step down before May’s local elections. According to the West of England Combined Authority, Norris has worked in the past as an NSPCC-trained child protection officer.
According to the BBC, Avon and Somerset Police, in a statement, said, “In December 2024, we received a referral from another police force relating to alleged non-recent child sex offences having been committed against a girl.
“Most of the offences are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s but we’re also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s.
“An investigation, led by officers within Operation Bluestone, our dedicated rape and serious sexual assault investigation team, remains ongoing and at an early stage.
“The victim is being supported and given access to any specialist help or support she needs.
“A man, aged in his 60s, was arrested on Friday (April 4) on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl (under the Sexual Offences Act 1956), rape (under the Sexual Offences Act 2003), child abduction and misconduct in a public office.
“He’s been released on conditional bail for enquiries to continue.”
The Labour Party, in a statement on Saturday, said: “Dan Norris MP was immediately suspended by the Labour Party upon being informed of his arrest. We cannot comment further while the police investigation is ongoing.”
With the suspension, Norris is understood to have lost the Labour whip and will no longer sit as a Labour MP in the House of Commons.
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