Britain’s governing Labour Social gathering on Saturday mentioned it had suspended Dan Norris, one in every of its lawmakers in Parliament, after he was arrested by the police.
Mr. Morris “was instantly suspended by the Labour Social gathering upon being knowledgeable of his arrest,” the celebration mentioned in a press release, including that it “can not remark additional whereas the police investigation is ongoing.”
The celebration didn’t specify why Mr. Norris, 65, had been arrested, and he didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Saturday.
In Britain, the police usually don’t disclose the identify of suspects except they’re charged. The BBC mentioned that Mr. Norris was arrested on suspicion of rape, youngster intercourse offenses, youngster abduction and misconduct in a public workplace.
In a press release that didn’t give any names, the Avon and Somerset Police mentioned {that a} man in his 60s was arrested on Friday on suspicion of sexual offenses towards a woman, rape, youngster abduction and misconduct in a public workplace. The police mentioned he had been launched on conditional bail.
“In December 2024, we obtained a referral from one other police pressure regarding alleged non-recent youngster intercourse offenses having been dedicated towards a woman,” the police assertion mentioned.
“A lot of the offenses are alleged to have occurred within the 2000s, however we’re additionally investigating an alleged offense of rape from the 2020s,” it added. The police mentioned that the investigation was “ongoing and at an early stage.”
The Labour Social gathering’s transfer is predicted to imply that Mr. Norris will, pending the investigation, be successfully suspended from representing the celebration within the Home of Commons.
Final 12 months Mr. Norris received a seat in Parliament representing North East Somerset and Hanham, close to town of Bristol, defeating a former Conservative cupboard minister, Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Mr. Norris can be the mayor of the West of England, a place he has held since 2021, although he isn’t operating for re-election when that put up is contested on Could 1.
His political profession goes again greater than twenty years. Mr. Norris was a lawmaker from 1997 to 2010, representing the seat of Wansdyke, within the west of England. He was an assistant whip within the authorities of Tony Blair from 2001 to 2003, and a junior minister within the Division for Surroundings, Meals and Rural Affairs from 2009 to 2010, beneath Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
