By John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter: Arrested MP Dan Norris has not voted via proxy since police confirmed charges were being considered.
The North East Somerset and Hanham MP has not been to Parliament since he was 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. That was 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.
Police, who have never named Mr Norris, had been investigating 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 is understood to have been banned from entering Parliament under its risk-based exclusion policy shortly after his initial arrest in April 2025, 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.
Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement on July 1: “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.”
Government whip Sir Nicholas Dakin, who had been casting the proxy vote for Mr Norris, used it for the last time that same day, in a vote to amend the rules around employment tribunals.
The vote was a “deferred division,” meaning it was cast on paper ballot papers usually around lunchtime. Sir Nicholas did not use Mr Norris’ proxy vote at the in-person votes which took place later in the afternoon. The proxy vote has not been used again.
Mr Norris continues to submit written questions to ministers, one of the few remaining ways an MP can engage with Parliament without attending. His latest questions, submitted on July 13, have regarded suspended driving licences and using former coal mines for geothermal power — an idea being proposed for the Somerset coalfield.
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. Proxy voting can be allowed for reasons such as maternity leave or long-term illness as well as risk-based exclusion. An MP granted a proxy vote can choose when to use it, with Dan Norris’s voting record showing frequent use until July 1.
What does it mean for constituents?
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 House of Commons.
There are no requirements for MPs to regularly attend Parliament or vote, beyond those enforced at a party level. 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.” This can only be done if the MP is given a custodial sentence, convicted of parliamentary expenses fraud, or suspended from the House of Commons for more than 10 days. A suspension is a sanction for conduct and is different to risk-based exclusion. An MP automatically loses their seat if they receive a prison sentence of over 12 months.
Mr Norris was the MP for Wansdyke, which followed similar borders to North East Somerset and Hanham, from 1997 until he was unseated by Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg in 2010. He won the seat back from Sir Jacob in the 2024 election and was arrested less than a year later.
The image is from Wikipedia.
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