Dave Rowntree is running in the upcoming British general election. The Blur drummer could enter parliament this way.
Dave Rowntree: “The Tories have run out of ideas”
The musician is running in the election for the Labor Party, of which he has been a member since 2002. His constituency is Mid Sussex. Its seat in the House of Commons has always been occupied by the competing Conservative and Unionist Party, also known as the Tories. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to become the first Mid-Sussex Labor MP,” said Dave Rowntree about his nomination. “The residents of the constituency now have the best opportunity to have their say and return a Labor MP to Parliament.” Rowntree’s position: “The Tories have run out of ideas and the Lib Dems (Liberal Democrats – Editor’s note) the air is out. I am running for Parliament to provide the energy and vision this region so desperately needs.”
Mid Sussex is a Conservative constituency
The parliamentary seat for Mid Sussex has existed independently since 1974 – with minor regional changes in constituency affiliation. Since then it has only been occupied by three politicians, all of whom belonged to the Conservative Party. Tim Renton first held the seat, he was followed in 1997 by Sir Nicholas Soames, who ran for one election term without party affiliation before returning to the Conservative Party, and since 2019 Mims Davies, who is also conservative, has represented the district.
The next British general election will take place on January 28, 2025. Dave Rowntree will then stand in the Mid Sussex constituency against Kristy Adams of the Conservative Party and Alison Bennett of the Liberal Democrats.
Here Dave Rowntree promoted their latest album with Blur
Interlude with Blur
Dave Rowntree has had over twenty years of political experience. Although he failed several times to oust the Conservative Party from seats, he most recently sat on Norfolk County Council, one of the 21 regional houses of government, from 2017 to 2021. This too has historically had a conservative majority. After his term in office, Rowntree decided not to run for re-election in 2021 due to the pandemic. In the meantime, he was active with Blur, which he co-founded in 1988.
The Britpop band released their ninth album “The Ballad Of Darren” in 2023 after an eight-year break in their discography. The release was followed by a tour. Although frontman Damon Albarn announced another band break in December 2023, the group is scheduled to perform at the Coachella festival in April 2024 as well as a “warm-up show” in Pomona, California. These are Blur’s first US concerts since 2015.