Dan Norris, a Labour MP from the UK, was arrested on charges of rape and child sex offenses

UK Labour suspended Dan Norris, MP for North East Somerset and Hanham, following his arrest on severe sexual offense accusations.

According to Avon and Somerset Police on Saturday, UK Labour MP Dan Norris has been placed under custody on suspicion of rape, child sex offenses, kidnapping, and misconduct in public office.

While investigations are ongoing, the 65-year-old MP for North East Somerset and Hanham was arrested on Friday and subsequently freed on conditional bail.

When the Labour Party learned of the arrest, Norris, who defeated Jacob Rees-Mogg in the general election of 2024, was suspended right away. The Labour Party promptly suspended Dan Norris MP after learning of his detention, according to a party official. While the police investigation is continuing, we are unable to provide any other comments.

Norris will now serve as an independent MP in the Commons while awaiting further developments after the Labour whip was also suspended.

The arrest comes after another force referred the case in December 2024 for non-recent child sexual offenses, according to a police statement. Police are looking into a rape claim that is believed to have happened in the 2020s, although the most of the alleged events are from the 2000s.

“We received a referral from another police force in December 2024 regarding alleged non-recent child sex offenses against a girl,” Avon and Somerset Police stated. The majority of the offenses are said to have happened in the 2000s, but we are also looking into a rape case that may have happened in the 2020s.

According to the force, Norris was detained “on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl (under the Sexual Offences Act 1956), rape (under the Sexual Offences Act 2003), kidnapping of a child, and misconduct in his public office.”

The force’s specialized division for rape and serious sexual assault cases, Operation Bluestone, is spearheading the probe. “The victim is receiving support and has access to any specialized assistance or support that she requires,” the police continued.

Norris, who was MP for Wansdyke from 1997 until 2010, was once Gordon Brown’s junior minister and Tony Blair’s assistant whip. In addition, he has served as Mayor of the West of England since 2021; however, he is scheduled to resign prior to the May local elections.

Norris is a former child protection officer with training from the NSPCC, according to the West of England Combined Authority website.