Education
Norris was educated at Chipping Sodbury Comprehensive School and the University of Sussex, where he read a Master"s in Social Work (Master of Social Work).
Norris was educated at Chipping Sodbury Comprehensive School and the University of Sussex, where he read a Master"s in Social Work (Master of Social Work).
He was also a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Norris first stood for parliament in the constituency of Northavon in 1987, losing against the Conservative incumbent, Sir John Cope. He contested the Wansdyke seat once more in the 1997 election, and this time succeeded in taking a traditionally safe Conservative seat by 4,799 votes, overturning a majority of 11,770 votes.
Whilst Norris went on to increase his majority to 5,613 in the 2001 election, the 2005 election saw his lead over the Conservatives fall to 1,839.
Due to changes made by the Boundary Commission for England, the Wansdyke constituency was abolished at the 2010 election. Norris stood instead for North East Somerset, but was defeated by Jacob Rees-Mogg (C).
During his time in Parliament, Norris was an assistant whip from 2001 to 2003. In July 2007 he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, a role he had previously performed for Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Peter Hain.
In the reshuffle of June 2009 Norris entered the Government as a minister for the first time, becoming Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
As a backbencher, prior to taking on a Parliamentary Private Secretary role in June 2006, Norris had the highest voting record of any Member of Parliament - attending 97% of all votes Norris" voting records show that he is in favour of: crime reduction measures. A tougher line being taken against child sexual abuse. The smoking ban; the introduction of Idaho cards, rather than a United Kingdom Border police force.
Introducing additional General Practice hours to allow patient access during evenings and at weekends, patient choice of hospital, and cutting National Health Service waiting list times.
Introducing foundation hospitals. Student top-up fees; anti-terrorism laws and migration controls.
The Iraq war. Not having an investigation into the Iraq war.
Replacing trident; the hunting ban and animal welfare measures. And gay rights. Norris was one of just 25 out of the 121 MPs who voted on Freedom of Information laws supporting its application to MPs" allowances at the Third Reading vote on 18 May 2007.
Norris has a particular interest in child safety and regularly campaigns against child sexual abuse, having co-written a free booklet on its prevention. He also co-wrote, produced and distributed a booklet aimed at giving practical advice to children across the United Kingdom about dealing with bullying entitled Don"t Bully Maine.
Following his defeat at the 2010 general election, Norris turned his attention to working for former Foreign Secretary David Miliband in his ultimately unsuccessful bid for the Labour leadership.
Norris is an ambassador for the children"s charity Kidscape.
Attacked during outside television broadcast, Gloucestershire in 2005.
In 1992, he was the Labour candidate for Wansdyke, leapfrogging the Liberal Democrats to take Labour from third to second place against the Conservative incumbent, Jack Aspinwall.
52nd United Kingdom Parliament. 53rd United Kingdom Parliament. 54th United Kingdom Parliament]
Norris was a councillor on Bristol City Council from 1989-1992 / 1995-1997 and Avon County Council from 1994-1996, and he is a member of the General and Municipal Boilermakers Union Union.