Labour MP Darren Jones has said the party are ‘shocked’ and ‘saddened’ after one of their colleagues – Dan Norris – was arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences
A Labour MP has said the party are “shocked” and “saddened” after one of their colleagues was arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said it was right that MP Dan Norris had been suspended from the Labour Party after the police informed it of his arrest. He told Sky News: “Clearly we’re all shocked and personally saddened by the serious allegations that have been made.
“It is right that the Labour party suspended the whip immediately when the police informed the party of Dan Norris’s arrest, but as the police have said, this is a sensitive investigation, and we shouldn’t be commenting further at this stage.”
READ MORE: Labour MP Dan Norris arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences
Mr Norris, who has been Mayor of the West of England since 2021 and defeated Jacob Rees Mogg to become MP for North East Somerset and Hanham last year, was taken into custody after police raided his constituency home on Friday. Labour suspended the MP – and the Commons whip was automatically suspended.
A Labour 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.”
A spokeswoman for Avon and Somerset Police 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 spokeswoman added: “The victim is being supported and given access to any specialist help or support she needs.
“A man, aged in his sixties, was arrested on Friday 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. This is an active and sensitive investigation, so we’d respectfully ask people not to speculate on the circumstances so our enquiries can continue unhindered.”
Norris was previously in Parliament from 1997 to 2010 representing the seat of Wansdyke. He served as a junior minister under Gordon Brown and was an assistant whip under Tony Blair.
He also previously trained with the NSPCC and worked as a child protection officer and teacher. Police were reportedly seen removing boxes of items from Mr Norris’ constituency home following his arrest.
A senior Labour source said last night: “This has sent shockwaves around the party.”
Norris will be barred from the parliamentary estate at Westminster while police inquiries continue, after rules around politicians under investigation were tightened last year.
Norris remains Mayor of the West of England, but can’t run again because he’s a serving MP. His election to the role was a rare moment of hope for Keir Starmer on a torrid night of local election results early in his leadership.
Labour picked up two mayoralties – Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and the West of England – from the Tories, bucking an otherwise difficult night for Labour. Norris beat Tory candidate Samuel Williams by 125,482 votes to 85,389.
He also co-chairs the League Against Cruel Sports, and has been a long-time campaigner against animal cruelty and bloodsports.
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