Blur’s Dave Rowntree is set to run as Labour parliamentary candidate for Mid Sussex in the general election later this year.
The Britpop star said on X he was “absolutely thrilled”, as his selection was announced late on Wednesday.
The Mid Sussex seat includes Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Hurstpierpoint and surrounding villages.
It is currently held by Conservative Mims Davies, who was elected as MP in 2019.
Rowntree was a founding member of Blur, which formed in London in the 80s along with singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, and bassist-turned-cheesemaker Alex James.
In a statement reported by the Guardian, the drummer said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to become Labour’s first Mid Sussex MP.
I'm absolutely thrilled to have been selected as the @UKLabour candidate for Mid Sussex!
— Dave Rowntree (@DaveRowntree) March 6, 2024
Now the work begins.#Labour pic.twitter.com/RGMm1vWbAX
“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.”
On X, Mid Sussex Labour wrote: “We are thrilled that you are going to win Mid Sussex for Labour and our team is with you all the way.”
Rowntree’s election candidacy is far from his first foray into politics.
The long-time Labour member previously sat on Norfolk County Council for sting from 2017 before stepping down at the 2021 local election.
Prior to that, at a Westminster City Council by-election in 2008, he was Labour candidate for the Church Street seat but lost to the Conservative nominee.
Eastern Daily Press reported that in 2011, Rowntree ran for Labour’s nomination in the Norwich South constituency, but lost out to another candidate.
After forming in 1988, Blur was launched to universal stardom in 1994 with single Girls and Boys, and have enjoyed major success with other hits including Parklife, Country House, Charmless Man, Song 2, and Coffee & TV.
The band, also famous for their Britpop rivalry with Oasis, delighted fans by playing two sell-out shows at Wembley last year. It marked their first major UK shows since playing Hyde Park eight years before that.
News of Rowntree’s selection as Labour’s Mid Sussex candidate has been met with broad appreciation from Britpop fans.
Labour campaigner Daniel Shearer riffed on Blur lyrics, as he quipped: “All the people are going to vote for him, so many people...”
“Good luck drumming up support,” joked another X user, while others hailed his selection as “fantastic”.
Rowntree is not the only musician vying for a parliamentary seat in the upcoming general election.
Tom Gray, music industry activist and founding member of rock band Gomez, has also announced he is running to be a Labour MP.
Gray is running as Labour candidate for the Brighton Pavilion ward in East Sussex, which has been continuously held by the Green Party’s Caroline Lucas since 2010, when she became the UK’s first Green MP.
