UK’s Labour MP Dan Norris has been arrested on suspicion of rape, child sex offences, child abduction and misconduct in public office, Avon and Somerset Police confirmed on Saturday.
The 65-year-old MP for North East Somerset and Hanham was taken into custody on Friday and later released on conditional bail as investigations continue.
Norris, who unseated Jacob Rees-Mogg in the 2024 general election, was immediately suspended by the Labour Party following news of the arrest. A party spokesperson 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.”
As a result, Norris has also had the Labour whip suspended and will now sit as an independent MP in the Commons pending further developments.
According to a police statement, the arrest follows a December 2024 referral from another force concerning non-recent child sexual offences. The alleged incidents primarily date back to the 2000s, but police are also investigating an allegation of rape said to have occurred in the 2020s.
“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,” Avon and Somerset Police said. “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.”
The force confirmed that Norris was arrested “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.”
The investigation is being led by Operation Bluestone, the force’s dedicated team for rape and serious sexual assault cases. “The victim is being supported and given access to any specialist help or support she needs,” police added.
Norris, a former junior minister under Gordon Brown and assistant whip under Tony Blair, previously served as MP for Wansdyke from 1997 to 2010. Since 2021, he has also held the role of Mayor of the West of England, though he is due to step down ahead of local elections in May.
The West of England Combined Authority website states that Norris is a former NSPCC-trained child protection officer.
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