The two-tier justice of broken Britain

Labour MP Dan Norris arrested on allegations of child sex offences but released on bail, while those who sent tweets remain locked up

LABOUR MP Dan Norris has been arrested following allegations of rape, child sex offences, child abduction and misconduct in public office – but has been released on bail.

Norris, an MP for North East Somerset, was arrested as part of an ongoing investigation led by Avon and Somerset Police under Operation Bluestone, covering alleged incidents from the 2000s and a reported rape in the 2020s.

The Labour Party has suspended Norris and withdrawn the party whip. However, despite the gravity of the accusations, he has not been remanded in custody. Norris was released on conditional bail while the investigation continues.

But those who send tweets remain locked up…

Lucy Connolly, meanwhile, has been denied temporary release from prison which would have allowed her to spend time at home with her 12-year-old daughter and her ailing husband.

It has been reported that her daughter's behaviour has deteriorated at school, while her husband suffers from bone marrow failure.

Connolly was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in October 2024 and refused bail for sending a tweet in the wake of the Southport murders, which she later deleted.

In light of this, it is worth remembering that former BBC Newsreader Huw Edwards was found guilty of having Category A [horrific/the worst] pictures of sexually abused children. He received “notably sympathetic” remarks from judge and was handed a six-month prison, suspended for two years. He is currently walking free on the streets of the UK.

Former police officers arrested in Rochdale rape gangs case

In a separate case, multiple arrests have now been made in connection with the Rochdale grooming scandal.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has confirmed that a number of former South Yorkshire police officers are being investigated for their roles in failing to address sexual exploitation cases in the town.

In early April 2025, three former officers were arrested on suspicion of child sex offences and misconduct in public office. These arrests stem from allegations of neglecting to investigate or actively covering up the abuse of young girls by a grooming gang between 2002 and 2005. The IOPC is now probing these allegations, with each officer accused of having been complicit in allowing abuse to continue under their watch.

The arrests come after an earlier investigation revealed that police had failed to act on numerous reports from victims and the public, effectively enabling the grooming gang’s criminal activities to persist unchecked for years. This new round of arrests underscores the ongoing systemic failures within law enforcement, raising serious questions about the accountability of police officers involved in the Rochdale scandal. The IOPC is continuing its inquiries into the extent of police involvement in the abuse.

In light of this, it is worth remembering that, this year, key government figures declined to initiate a new national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal.

During a parliamentary vote on January 8, 2025, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch proposed an amendment to establish such an inquiry. The amendment was overwhelmingly rejected, with 364 votes against and 111 in favour.