Colin Sutton, a retired detective with a three-decade history of leading major murder inquiries, has secured victory as the first Reform UK police and crime commissioner. He was officially declared the winner for the Norfolk constituency on Friday, having received 32,647 votes.
Sutton triumphed over the Conservative candidate, Matthew Taylor, with a lead of 14,299 votes. This by-election was triggered after the previous commissioner, Sarah Taylor, resigned. She had initially won the seat for the Labour Party but later shifted to an independent status, citing opposition to the planned dissolution of the role. Voter participation for this election stood at 17%.
The role of police and crime commissioner is slated for removal as part of a wider strategy to transfer authority to Norfolk and Suffolk, which includes the establishment of a regional mayorship.
