Rowntree will stand for the Conservative-held Mid Sussex seat, hoping to turn it red for the first time. He vowed to “provide the energy and vision the area so desperately needs”, insisting the “Tories have run out of ideas and the Lib Dems have run out of steam”.
By Siba Jackson, News reporter @siba_jackson
Dave Rowntree, the drummer for Blur, has been selected as a Labour candidate at the next general election.
Rowntree will stand for the Conservative-held Mid Sussex seat, hoping to turn it red for the first time.
The constituency, covering Burgess Hill, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and the Mid Sussex villages, is currently represented by Mims Davies.
In a statement, the musician turned politician said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to become Labour’s first Mid Sussex MP.
“Residents have their best chance in a generation to make their vote count and return a Labour MP to Parliament.
“The Tories have run out of ideas, and the Lib Dems have run out of steam.
“I’m running for Parliament to provide the energy and vision the area so desperately needs.”
The Mid Sussex Labour group posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday afternoon: “We think Dave will be an excellent and very successful candidate.”
In a statement, the group added: “Our constituency chair, Pam Haigh, is delighted to announce Dave Rowntree as our parliamentary candidate for General Election 24.
“Dave is a long-term party member who has served in many party roles including (Prospective Parliamentary Candidate) PPC and County Councillor.
“We look forward to working with him to get him elected as Mid Sussex’s first Labour MP.
Rowntree has yet to share the news with his more than 60,000 followers on X.
However he used the platform to take aim at Chancellor Jeremy Hunt‘s spring budget announcement in the Commons, describing it as a “waste of an hour”.
The drummer wrote: “Tiny policy announcements. Fiddling with the tax system. Bogus productivity savings rather than proper funding. AI fixing all problems.”
Rowntree revealed Blur‘s excitement ahead of their “bucket list” Wembley Stadium comeback in July last year.
He was reunited with bandmates Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Alex James for their first headline show since 2015.
Read more:
The huge questions that remain after rabbit-free budget
Hunt: Budget ‘absolutely not’ last throw of dice before election
Starmer brands PM and chancellor ‘Chuckle Brothers of decline’
In December last year, fellow musician Tom Gray, of the rock band Gomez, was selected as the Labour candidate for the Brighton Pavilion constituency in the upcoming general election.
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James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
