Matt Taylor wins Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner election
SOS Party independent candidate takes the first ever PCC Sussex seat with landslide majority, claiming 'the most sensational victory in Sussex political history'

Matt Taylor the leading figure in the SOS Party, has grabbed a remarkable victory in the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner election, claiming that "By the grace of God, I have won the most sensational victory in Sussex political history".

It appeared that the counties voters had decamped from the traditional political parties en masse to Taylor’s call to hold Sussex Police to account, making sure they are transparent, effective and efficient, in the way they police, protect and serve.

On a turnout of 60%, conservative candidates Paul Dendle, Steve Waight and Peter Jones. Labour's candidate Paul Richards, and other independent candidates Ian Chisnall, Phillip Jones and Anthony Kimber were left shellshocked, crushed by a 55% swing to The SOS Party that saw Taylor take the Commissioners seat with a landslide majority.

It marks an extraordinary personal and political break-thru for the controversial politician who leads his one-man-political SOS Party, appearing to confirm that the remainder of his career would lie in serving the public and building good relations with the Police.

It is also a bitter blow to David Cameron, who championed the PCC’s, even with considerable objections of all MP’s across the parties ‘not to mend something that isn’t broke.’ He’s being criticized today for not seeing the threat posed by rogue personalities until too late.

The result raises wider questions over whether the result is a simple one-off reflecting Taylor's personal charisma, or instead a sign of a wider detachment from mainstream party politics.

Hailing his triumph before the official result was announced, Taylor said: "By the grace of God, I have won the most sensational victory in Sussex political history … Let us not forget that during these times of strive, rebellion and uncertainly, confrontation with the police will inevitably increase. It’s in the spirit of Brighton, that the people of Sussex have entrusted me with this most important of duties to ensure the police live up to their responsibilities and never cross the line into brutality and corruption. Your vote was worth it. I am the BEST MAN for the JOB and I intent to START straight away to bring you the best the POLICE have to OFFER. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Politicians, Police Chiefs and officials were privately conceding defeat long before the official result which came at 2.30am on Friday morning.

Taylor claimed the path to his victory went back to ‘civil liberties snatched from the law abiding citizen following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and 7/7, and the police brutality dished out against protesters during peaceful marches.’

He added that the police and politicians hadn’t won the argument on civil liberties, ‘we don’t mind doing our bit for Queen and country, but we must say no when we watch our Great Britain slowly turned into a police state, where-in the police care more about Statute Law, than Common Law. The big political parties have had a very salutary lesson, and I hope they take note.’

Taylor said: "A new wave of thinking is sweeping across the nation. A new breed of political leadership have been waiting patiently in the wings, bidding our time and watching established political leaders hang themselves with their own ropes. Our time in now. We are stepping out and being counted."

Taylor, a former Royal Military Policeman MP, had previously shown his formidable ability to galvanize public opinion by holding a highly successful 1,000-strong rally, winning the support of some leading community figures.

Taylor distributed letters insisting that he cared passionately about Law and Order, joking that while growing up as a kid without a father, he pretended Judge Dredd was his dad and hence forth developed a great affiliation with Law which would treat him fairly in the Commissioners role. He promising he would keep the Police in check, that no-one is above the law, especially the officers tasked to up-hold it.

The result represents an extraordinary new chapter for Taylor personally. He was initially a RMP and later a contract weed killer, before becoming a businessman in November 2008 and building his political presence across the web.