Ivor Caplin: Former Labour MP arrested during 'paedophile sting livestream' after being suspended from party

The arrest of Ivor Caplin, the ex-MP for Hove, was captured during a ‘paedophile sting’ livestream which was uploaded to Facebook. A man, reported to be the 66-year-old, was seen in the video surrounded by police officers, in handcuffs, and wearing a black trench coat and a bright, red cap.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "We are aware of footage circulating on social media showing a man in Brighton being detained on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with a child. Officers can confirm a local 66-year-old man was arrested on Saturday January 11 and currently remains in custody.”

Mr Caplin reportedly denies all allegations made against him.

Who is Ivor Caplin?

Caplin served as MP for Hove between 1997 and 2005. During his time in parliament, he held the role of assistant whip, while also taking on a role as junior defence minister and, later, minister for Veterans. Following his time in parliament, he chaired the group Jewish Labour Movement from 2018 until 2019.

In May 2024, he was suspended from the Labour Party amid reports of “serious allegations”, however the specific allegations were not made public. He is no longer a member of the party.

Away from politics, Caplin was appointed executive director of British energy firm Haas Energy in 2009. In the same year, we was also named as chief executive of Mayfair Capital Management.

He currently runs Ivor Caplin Consultancy Ltd and International Infrastructure Development Consultancy Ltd.