THE Crown Prosecution Service is considering whether to bring charges against North East Somerset and Hanham MP Dan Norris.
Avon & Somerset police submitted a file of sex offence allegations against the Labour MP and former West of England Metro Mayor on July 1.
The force, which has never named Mr Norris, said in a statement: “We’ve been carrying out an investigation into allegations of sexual offences which led to the arrest of a man in his sixties. The investigation, which is being led by officers with Operation Bluestone, our dedicated rape and serious sexual assault investigation team, began in December 2024. The allegations being investigated relate to rape against three women, sexual assault against a fourth woman, as well as voyeurism and upskirting against a number of women. All are alleged to have occurred between the 2000s and 2020s.
“As a result of our enquiries, a file has been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider a charging decision. We’ve updated the victims about this significant development, and we’ll continue to make sure they have access to any help or support they need. We’d respectfully ask people not to speculate on the circumstances so the investigation can continue unhindered.”
Mr Norris, who has said he “vigorously and entirely” denies the allegations, has not been to Parliament since he was first arrested on suspicion of rape and other offences in April 2025.
He continued to vote on laws through a proxy vote cast on his behalf by the Labour Party’s whips, despite having been suspended from the party at the time of his arrest.
But his proxy vote has not been used since July 1, the date it was revealed that a file had been submitted to the CPS.
The MP is understood to have been banned from entering Parliament under its risk-based exclusion policy shortly after his initial arrest, which can restrict access to MPs arrested on suspicion of a violent or sexual offence. In February 2026, the MP told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he was still serving constituents to the best of his ability, handling casework, submitting written questions and voting by proxy.
Government whip Sir Nicholas Dakin, who had been casting the proxy vote for Mr Norris, used it for the last time on July 1, in a vote to amend the rules around employment tribunals.
Mr Norris continues to submit written questions to ministers.
Government policy prescribes a “maximum of seven months” when granting an MP a proxy vote but this can be “extended multiple times” for the same length of time. An MP granted a proxy vote can choose when to use it, with Dan Norris’s voting record showing frequent use until July 1.
Unless the proxy voting resumes, there is now nobody casting a vote on behalf of North East Somerset and Hanham in Parliament.
This could, cynically, be said to make little practical difference. Mr Norris’ vote was always cast in line with the Labour Party which has a majority of more than 150 in the Commons.
In September 2025, one constituent started a petition — now with more than 4,000 signatures — calling on Mr Norris to step down. The petition said that, despite acknowledging the principle of “innocent until proven guilty,” the situation did “severely undermine his ability to effectively represent us in Parliament”.
The only mechanism for constituents to remove an MP is if 10% of them sign a “recall petition.”
By John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter