Dan Norris: Labour MP suspended after arrest for historical child sexual offences including rape; is he married, does he have children

Avon and Somerset Police confirmed that a man in his sixties was arrested on Friday, April 5, and has since been released on conditional bail. Although police did not name the individual, a Labour spokesperson confirmed on Saturday that Mr Norris has been suspended from the party pending the outcome of the investigation.

Norris, 65, regained his seat in Parliament in the 2024 general election, defeating prominent Conservative MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg with 20,739 votes to Rees-Mogg’s 15,420. The North East Somerset and Hanham constituency sits between the cities of Bristol and Bath. Norris had previously served as the MP for Wansdyke, which was abolished in 2010, when he lost to Rees-Mogg in the newly formed North East Somerset seat.

A prominent figure in regional politics, Norris has served as the West of England metro mayor since 2021. He was due to step down ahead of the upcoming local elections in May. His mayoral responsibilities included overseeing regional policy for transport, housing, jobs and economic development, spanning Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, and South Gloucestershire.

Norris lives in Pensford and is known for his long-standing ties to the area. Before entering Parliament, he worked as a child protection officer trained by the NSPCC and previously ran his own businesses in the region. His political career includes serving as an assistant whip under Tony Blair from 2001 to 2003 and as a minister in the Department for the Environment under Gordon Brown in 2009–2010.

Beyond his political duties, Norris also held the position of chair of the League Against Cruel Sports, an animal welfare charity that campaigns against practices like fox hunting and game bird shooting. The charity confirmed on Saturday that Norris had stepped down from his role as chair. “An interim chair has been appointed from the Board of Trustees. The charity cannot comment further while an investigation is ongoing,” a spokesperson said.

In December 2024, Norris publicly urged the government to strengthen hunting bans, calling for “legal loopholes” to be closed to end “needless cruelty to animals”.

As of now, there is no publicly available information regarding Norris’s marital status or whether he has any children. However, in a Facebook post on Mother’s Day 2024, Norris wrote: “Happy Mother’s Day to my mum and all the incredible mums across the West of England.” The absence of any personal mention of his wife or children suggests he may not have any.

Norris has not publicly responded to the arrest or the allegations at this time.