Dan Norris, the Member of Parliament for North East Somerset and Hanham, has resumed voting on parliamentary matters through a proxy, despite being banned from accessing the parliamentary estate due to an ongoing police investigation.
Norris was arrested in April on suspicion of serious offences, including sexual abuse against a minor, rape, child abduction, and misconduct in public office. Although he has not been charged and remains on police bail, the investigation is still active.
Following his arrest, Norris was effectively barred from the parliamentary estate under Parliament’s risk-based exclusion policy, which assesses potential threats when MPs face allegations of violent or sexual offences. However, he has been able to participate in voting by delegating his vote to a fellow Labour MP, Chris Elmore, the party’s government whip, despite being suspended from the Labour Party upon his arrest.
READ MORE: ‘I was really worried which way ambulance would turn,’ says NHS boss
READ MORE: Disused Farm Transformed into a Thriving Mental Health Haven
His proxy voting began on May 16, when he supported the commencement of proceedings on Kim Leadbeater’s contentious assisted dying and assisted suicide bill. Norris also voted against an amendment opposing the bill, which was defeated by a slim margin of 37 votes. Since then, he has voted in alignment with Labour on three other occasions.
In addition to proxy voting, Norris has increasingly engaged in parliamentary duties remotely. On May 13, following inquiries from the Local Democracy Reporting Service regarding his position and representation of his constituency, Norris submitted three written questions to government ministers. He has submitted a total of nine questions covering issues such as cash usage, tree planting initiatives in the Western Forest, the British Coal Superannuation Scheme, and wildlife crime in his constituency.
A House of Commons spokesperson confirmed that details of sanctions against MPs under investigation remain confidential in accordance with parliamentary rules, and that the Standing Order 164 process governs these actions.
Furthermore, an internal communiqué at the West of England Combined Authority—where Norris was mayor at the time of his arrest—stated clearly that his parliamentary access had been revoked. Nonetheless, the proxy voting system allows MPs excluded from Parliament due to investigations, health issues, or family reasons to have another MP cast votes on their behalf, ensuring their parliamentary activity can continue.