Career
At the age of 14, Sutton took up employment at Bradford Colliery, Manchester. He became a check-weighman and secretary of the Bradford branch of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners" Federation. In 1894 he was elected to Manchester City Council as an Independent Labour Party councillor for the Bradford ward, an area previously represented by Conservatives.
He held the seat until its abolition in 1918.
At the 1918 general election Sutton stood in the new seat of Manchester Clayton, losing to the Conservative, Edward Hopkinson. Hopkinson died in 1922, forcing a by-election, and Sutton was selected as Labour candidate.
He held the seat at subsequent general elections until 1931 when a large swing to the Conservatives was reflected in Clayton. Sutton did not contest another parliamentary election.
