Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner Colin Sutton is facing criticism over plans to conduct a 127-date speaking tour across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Channel Islands in 2027. The tour includes dates that overlap with scheduled PCC panel meetings, leading some to question his ability to fulfill his duties effectively. In response to widespread backlash, Sutton has indicated he may scrap or significantly reduce the number of speaking engagements, acknowledging concerns about public confidence in his performance of his role overseeing local policing and setting budgets for Norfolk Constabulary.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
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Story summary
Colin Sutton, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk, is facing criticism over his planned 127-date speaking tour across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Channel Islands. The tour is scheduled throughout 2027 and includes talks titled "The Makings of a Murderer – Double Jeopardy." Critics argue that the extensive schedule, nearly as many dates as Taylor Swift's recent concert tour (149 shows), could interfere with his day job responsibilities. Steff Aquarone, a Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk, questioned whether Sutton can effectively fulfill his duties if he is on such an extensive speaking tour. The shadow policing and crime minister, Matt Vickers, accused Sutton of neglecting his paid role and called the tour a "slap in the face" to taxpayers. In response to the criticism, Sutton has indicated that he may reduce or cancel the tour entirely to ensure it does not interfere with his official duties.
Written for “Police Chief Theatre Tour Controversy” on 2026-09-17,
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A police and crime commissioner savaged for planning a speaking tour with ‘nearly as many dates as Taylor Swift’ has revealed he could scrap it.
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he → see → it
Norfolk PCC Colin Sutton is due to hit the road throughout 2027, with 127 bookings in theatres in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.
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Sutton → hit → England
His scheduling includes a date in Llandudno, Wales, on February 1 and a dash back to the county the next day for a PCC panel meeting before performing again in Leeds that evening.
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scheduling → include → Leeds
Another panel meeting on April 29 is sandwiched between trips to Farsley in Yorkshire that evening and Stevenage in Hertfordshire the night before.
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meeting → sandwich → Hertfordshire
The former Metropolitan Police detective chief inspector had insisted the talks about his career – called ‘The Makings of a Murderer – Double Jeopardy’ – could be done in his ‘spare time’.
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talks → insist → time
But he has now indicated he could severely reduce the run or scrap it altogether.
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he → indicate → it
‘I'm in talks with the people who promote it to see how we can curtail it or, if necessary, just cut it completely,’ Mr Sutton said.
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Sutton → promote → it
‘I don't want anything to interfere with the job that I've got to do.’
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I → want → that
Norfolk PCC Colin Sutton has revealed he could scrap his speaking tour next year, or greatly reduce the number of dates
Referring to the February and April logjams in commitments, he added: ‘There are lots of people who do meetings like that by [Microsoft] Teams or across the internet now, which might be an option.
‘
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which → reveal → internet
But it may well be that it’s moot now because I’ve listened and I think I should make sure the people of Norfolk still have the confidence that I would do the job properly.’
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I → ’ → job
He admitted being taken aback by angry comments from constituents in emails and on social media.
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He → admit → media
Scaling back the tour to venues local to Norfolk is one of the measures he is considering.
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he → scale → measures
Questions were raised about Mr Sutton’s ability to serve the people of Norfolk in his role – which includes overseeing how Norfolk Constabulary is run and setting the force’s budget - when details of the tour emerged last week.
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details → raise → tour
He was then mocked for claiming he could meet his on-the-road commitments in his spare time.
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he → mock → time
Steff Aquarone, the Lib Dem MP for North Norfolk, said: ‘Either the job is serious and requires somebody full-time, paying attention, or it’s not and it’s okay to go off and do nearly as many tour dates as Taylor Swift.’
The US pop star played a total of 149 shows during her sell-out global tour, which ran from March 2023 to December 2024.
The 127-date tour would take Mr Sutton to theatres across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands
Shadow policing and crime minister Matt Vickers accused Mr Sutton of ‘completely neglecting the job for which he is paid tens of thousands of pounds a year’ and said taxpayers would ‘rightly see this cash-generating jaunt for Colin Sutton as a slap in the face’.
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taxpayers → say → face
Tickets for Mr Sutton’s shows are around £40 each and would generate a sizable income above his £79,000 salary as PCC.
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Tickets → generate → PCC
He was elected in a by-election in July after his Labour predecessor stood down citing family reasons.
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predecessor → elect → reasons
Sarah Taylor had also criticised government plans to scrap the role of PCCs by the end of this Parliament.
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Taylor → criticise → Parliament
Critics said Mr Sutton should have announced details of his 2027 'side-hustle' before taking part in the ballot, in which the Tory candidate came second.
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candidate → say → which
Former Norfolk County Council leader Kay Mason Billig, who sits on the PCC’s cross-party panel, said: ‘Of course he knew before the election.
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he → sit → election
You don’t book theatre dates unless they’re a long way in advance.
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they → book → advance
‘He didn’t tell anybody he was going to do this before he stood.
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he → tell → this
He’s misled the public, really.’
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He → mislead → public
Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe added: ‘If he was aware of this tour during the election campaign yet failed to be honest with voters, that is very serious indeed.
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that → add → voters
He has betrayed their trust.’
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He → betray → trust
Steff Aquarone, the Lib Dem MP for North Norfolk, criticised Mr Sutton for planning to 'go off and do nearly as many tour dates as Taylor Swift'
Reform politician David Bick, who now runs the county council, has stood by the PCC, saying the matter was discussed ‘right at the beginning with his office and they had no issue with it’.
He added his ability to reach far-flung performances ‘depends on how he organises his transport’.
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he → criticise → transport
Mr Sutton, who retired from the Met in 2011, was involved in more than 30 successful major operations including nailing serial killer Levi Bellfield and ‘Nightstalker’ rapist Delroy Grant.
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who → retire → Bellfield
A Reform spokesman said the party was supportive of the ‘celebrity detective’ and added half his shows would take place at weekends.
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shows → say → weekends
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