Norfolk’s police and crime commissioner is facing calls to give up his £79,000 salary after announcing he will spend much of next year on a 127-date UK tour with his one-man show.
Colin Sutton, who was only elected to the role for Reform in July, will be on the road from January to November with his true crime production, The Makings of a Murderer.
The former Met detective will be touring the show – with tickets at around £40 a head – in venues in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland as well as the Channel Islands.
His punishing schedule - which involves months with as many as 18 shows, has more than double the number of dates as Beyonce's Renaissance tour in 2023 and only 22 less than Taylor Swift’s 21-month Eras tour.
One run of shows will see him visit Consett in County Durham, Tamworth in Staffordshire, Hunstanton in Norfolk, Llandudno in north Wales and Leeds over five consecutive nights.
This stretch alone will see him drive almost 700 miles between venues.
Mr Sutton has said the events - most of which take place on mid-week dates - will take place in his own time and will not have an impact on his day job.
But his claims have been met with ridicule from political opponents, who have urged him to give up his taxpayer-funded salary.
Mr Sutton’s tour will see him journey as far as Londonderry, Aberdeen and the Isle of Wight as he “takes audiences beyond the police tape with firsthand insights, exclusive case material, and compelling storytelling”.
The shows will see Mr Sutton – who is known for his work cracking the cases of serial killer Levi Bellfield and Night Stalker rapist Delroy Grant - discuss cases from his own policing career.
Tickets for the two-hour shows are already on sale and some of the venues appear to be almost sold-out already, with the tour expected to generate significant income for the PCC.
Mr Sutton – who was played by Martin Clunes in the ITV drama Manhunt about the Bellfield case - will also have to juggle his PCC role and the performances alongside his position as Reform’s national police and crime adviser.
The tour has renewed criticism of the police and crime commissioner (PCC) role itself.
Questions about its contribution and value have been raised since the post was created in 2012.
These intensified earlier this year when Sarah Taylor resigned as Norfolk’s PCC half way through her term in office.
That prompted a £2m by-election, even though the role is due to be abolished in 2028.
During the election, Mr Sutton criticised his predecessor for “not being visible as she could've been” and pledged to do “what’s best for the people of Norfolk” .
He was elected with 32, 647 votes in an election that attracted a turnout of just 17.1pc.
Rupert Lowe, the Great Yarmouth MP and leader of Restore Britain, called Mr Sutton's tour "an insult to the voters of Norfolk".
"I am furious to read that Reform's Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner is going on a 127-date UK tour with his one-man show," he said.
"All over Britain. 127 dates, for almost all of 2027. He was elected in July to represent Norfolk, not tour the country.
"He would have known this information during the campaign, yet did not tell the people of Norfolk or my constituents. I want to know why.
"He should donate his salary to charity if he does not want to do the job. It's an insult to the voters of Norfolk, to be honest."
Steff Aquarone, North Norfolk’s Liberal Democrat MP, said: "Less than three months after being elected, it seems our Reform Police and Crime Commissioner has got bored of doing his job, and is swanning off on tour. It's totally unacceptable.
"People in Norfolk don't want a part-time PCC. They want someone who is going to tackle rural crime and bring back community policing.
“It's classic Reform - more interested in feathering their own nests than actually delivering for the people they are elected to serve.
"Mr Sutton should be giving back his PCC salary while he is away on this tour, so that the money can be better spent on catching criminals and making people in our area feel safer."
Jon Wedon, the leader of Great Yarmouth First - an offshoot of Restore Britain - said: “This is quite honestly an insult to the Norfolk voters who placed their trust in Colin Sutton to do the job.
“He cannot do the job of Norfolk police and crime commissioner when he is on tour around Britain for an entire year.
“Not good enough. If he wants to make money on tour, don’t put yourself forward to be the commissioner. It’s that simple.”
A spokeswoman for the Police and Crime Commissioner Office said it was satisfied there would be "no adverse impact" on the performance of Mr Sutton.
“The commissioner has confirmed that these activities are being undertaken in a private capacity and that the dates have been discussed with the office," she said.
“We have also been assured that the events will take place during his own time and will not impact upon his ability to discharge his duties as police and crime commissioner.
“The commissioner has further confirmed that he will remain available and contactable should any operational or other PCC-related business require his attention.
“Based on these assurances, we are satisfied that appropriate arrangements are in place and that there is no adverse impact on the performance of the commissioner's official responsibilities.”
TOUGH TOUR
Mr Sutton’s 2027 tour schedule includes 35 more dates than Harry Styles' Together, Together tour, which saw the Brit perform 92 times over two years.
The shows will begin in January and run until November over a 317 day period - meaning the PCC will be in front of crowds every two and a half days on average.
He begins the tour with his busiest month, performing 18 shows in January in locations varying from Whitley Bay to Bournemouth.
He will then put on 16 shows in February, seven in March, 12 in April, 16 in May and 11 in June before taking time off for the summer, performing just five times in July and appearing in Great Yarmouth on August 1 for his only date that month.
He will then do another 15 events in September and another 16 in October.
The UK-wide tour follows a previous “sold-out” circuit in 2025.
In the promotion material for the ‘Makings of a Murderer 2’ which has been heavily publicised on social media, Mr Sutton appears in a teaser video where he tells viewers: “I’m back”.
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