Bristol North East MP Damien Egan has cast a proxy vote for arrested MP Dan Norris — but says he would not do it again.
Mr Egan cast the North East Somerset and Hanham MP’s first proxy vote in months in a close vote on legalising assisted dying for terminally ill adults on September 11. This was a “free vote” where party whips did not order MPs how to vote. Both Mr Egan and Mr Norris both supported assisted dying, but the legislation was narrowly voted down by just 16 votes.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Mr Egan facilitated a proxy vote while he took part in this free vote in the House of Commons. No further such proxy votes will be facilitated.”
Mr Norris has not voted in person since he was arrested on suspicion of rape and other offences in April 2025. The Labour Party whips had been casting his proxy vote but stopped on July 1, the date it was revealed that Avon and Somerset Police had submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider charges against Mr Norris. No charging decision has yet been made.
Police, who have never named Mr Norris, investigated allegations relating to rape against three women, sexual assault against a fourth woman, and voyeurism and upskirting against “a number of women.” All offences are alleged to have occurred between the 2000s and 2020s. Mr Norris has said he “vigorously and entirely” denies the allegations.
He was suspended from the Labour Party on his arrest. Separately, he is understood to have been banned from entering Parliament since shortly after his initial arrest in April 2025.
In February, the MP told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he was still serving constituents, handling casework, submitting written questions, and voting by proxy.
By John Wimperis, LDRS