Sir Keir Starmer was startled tonight by the arrest of one of his members of parliament on suspicion of rape and sex offenses for children.
Dan Norris, a former Minister of Labor who has driven Jacob Rees-Mogg as the member of parliament for North East Somerset and Hanham in last year's general elections, was taken into custody after the police had raided his constituency at home.
Officers were later seen to remove boxes from Mr Norris's possessions from the building.
Mr Norris, who trained as a child protection officer at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and worked as a teacher, was suspended for the party awaiting the investigation.
Most alleged violations date almost 20 years, although the rape claim is considered more recent.
On Saturday afternoon, one of Mr. Norris confirmed that there had been an intense police activity in the house, in a quiet lane in the middle of Rolling Landland, at noon and 6 pm on Friday.
The neighbor said to the post on Sunday: 'Six unark cars have arrived. They parked on our country and blocked our ride and I had to go outside to ask them to move.
“I asked who they were and they confirmed that they were police officers. They were at his house for a few hours, but I didn't see what they took away. '
Dan Norris, a former Minister of Labor who has driven Jacob Rees-Mogg as the Member of Parliament for North East Somerset and Hanham in last year's general elections, was taken into custody after the police had his constituency at home on Friday
Sir Keir, depicted with Mr. Norris, is said to have been startled by the arrest of one of his members of parliament on suspicion of rape and sex offenses for children
Mr Norris, who trained as a child protection officer at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), is suspended for the Labor Party
Another neighbor added: 'We've always liked. He always laughs and says hello when you meet him in the job. '
Mr. Norris, 65, is also Metro mayor for western England – a position he must give up in next month's local elections because of the government's second task rules imposed on MPS.
After his arrest, it is likely that the Commons authorities will prohibit Mr Norris from the parliamentary estate for the duration of the investigation.
It is again a headache for Sir Keir, who would not enjoy an interim election in northeastern Somerset, given the relatively slender majority of Mr Norris of 5,319.
Mr Rees-Mogg, who is understood as the hope of returning to the commons, believes that he would have held the seat if the reform party, which had secured 7,424 votes, had not introduced a candidate against him. He called for a 'coalition' with reform in the run -up to the elections.
A spokesperson for the Avon and Somerset police said: “In December 2024 we received a reference from another police with regard to alleged non-recent child violations committed against a girl.
'Most offenses would have taken place in the 2000s, but we are also investigating an alleged rape of the 2020s.
'An investigation led by officers within Operation Bluestone, our dedicated rape and serious research team for sexual violence, continues to be underway and at an early stage. The victim is supported and gave access to specialized help or support she needs.
Mr Norris, 65, is also Metro Mayor for western England – a position that he must give up in the local elections of next month because of the second task rules of the government imposed on MPS. Shown: Mr Norris (Center Back) with other British mayors outside Downing Street last year
'A man, in his sixties, was arrested on Friday on suspicion of sexual offenses against a girl (under the sexual offenses act 1956), Rape (under the sexual offenes act 2003), child abduction and misconduct in a public office. He was released on conditional bail for questions to continue.
“This is an active and sensitive investigation, so we would respectfully ask people not to speculate about the circumstances, so that our questions can remain unhindered.”
Spokesperson for the Labor Party said: 'Then Norris MP was immediately suspended by the Labor Party after he was aware of his arrest. We cannot comment further while the police investigation is underway. '
Mr. Norris was first chosen in the then constituency of Wansdyke when Tony Blair wiped into power in 1997. He was a minister of the environment and the countryside under Gordon Brown.
Once an avid blairite, he has recently described himself as left of the Labor party, adding to it: “Not far left, but left.” He lost his chair when David Cameron entered NO10 in 2010, but returned to the parliament during last year's LABORSDAARDSCHUILS, so that Mr Rees-Mogg was driven into one of the most dramatic moments of the general elections.
A passionate campaigner of animal welfare, Mr Norris was the chairman of the competition against cruel sports since 2022 until tonight and had urged the government of Sir Keir to clamp on what he claims is 'constant illegal fox hunt'.
In his profile on the website of the competition, he describes how the upcoming generations look back on the cruelty that we are currently inflicting and assess as a stain in history '.
The profile adds: “I am a lifelong lawyer for animal welfare and one of my most proud performance had been called for the hunting ban as a member of parliament under the previous Labor Government and who later serves as a Minister of the Environment and Rural Affairs.”
But tonight the competition announced that Mr. Norris was tapped out of his role.
A spokesperson for the competition against Cruel Sports said: 'We can confirm that Norris MP has then taken from his role as chairman of the competition against cruel sports, and an interim chair has been appointed to the board of directors.
Mr. Norris, depicted with his Cocker Spaniel Angel, is suspended from the Labor Party
“The charity cannot comment while an investigation is underway.”
During his mayor's campaign in 2021, Sir Keir Bath visited him to campaign for him – but the couple was asked to leave a pub by the landlord, who opposed the use of lockdowns during the pandemie.
In an attempt to stimulate public transport, Mr Norris launched free bus trips for people during the month of their birthday.
But he was taken under fire after he had spent £ 10,000 on the money of the taxpayers for a double -decker bus with three photos of himself and his Cocker Spaniel Angel.
The animal-loving Blairite MP who managed to expel Jacob Rees-Mogg
By Ryan Hooper
Blairite Member of Parliament Dan Norris has spent a large part of his adult life in politics and brought himself from local matters to the heart of the central government.
The first taste of the 65-year-old was as a Bristol municipal councilor in the late 1980s and 1990s, as well as a short period in the then Avon County Council.
The supporter of Bristol City, who grew up in the area, disputed a general election in 1987 for the first time when he was to become Labor MP for Northavon – but finished third behind Tory Grandee John Cope in First, and the liberal candidate in second place.
Then in 1992 he lost the seat of Wansdyke on the long-term Tory-sitting Jack Aspinwall. But the animal-loving Lord Norris did not have to be defeated and eventually got the betterness of the Tory veteran in 1997 when the new labor of Tony Blair was swept into power.
In addition, Mr Norris marked one of the few red spots on a different traditional Tory landscape.
He received a letter in the treasury as an assistant – whip and – in a nod to his national upbringing – as Defra Minister.
He held the seat until 2010, then, in another change of government, the constituency, again signed by the Boundary Commission, was won by Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg. With work from power – and Mr Norris from parliament – he returned to regional politics.
In 2021 he was elected metro -mayor of the west of England, a position he held in addition to a member of parliament after he defeated his old enemy Sir Jacob to regain the seat of North East Somerset and Hanham last year.
He is chairman of the Board of Trustees for the League against cruel sports and has described himself as a 'lifelong lawyer for animal welfare'.
Mr Norris, a former child protection officer who trained with the NSPCC, was arrested on suspicion of rape and sex offenses for children
The former child protection officer, who trained with the NSPCC, also spoke in parliament about his passion for belonging to animals. In this week, Mr. Norris said in a postponement debate about trailing yacht that it was not a 'peaceful activity', but 'was designed to circumvent current legislation. “
His register of interest shows that he has received donations from a number of groups and private individuals, including £ 20,000 in June last year from Ecotricity, the Green Energy company founded by Dale Vince.
He enjoys photography and says that his favorite thing to do is by taking long walks about the beautiful west of England with my Cocker Spaniel Angel '. The beloved pet indeed plays on various messages on social media of the MP.
