Blur drummer Dave Rowntree has failed in his bid to become a member of the UK Parliament. Rowndrey represented the centrist Labor Party in the Mid Sussex constituency, a long-standing stronghold of the embattled Conservative Party. The seat went to the Lib Dems, another centrist party, defeating the Tories for the first time since the constituency was created in 1974. Rowdry won around 17% of the vote compared to Alison Elizabeth's 39% first-place vote share Bennett. In the UK overall, Labor won, taking power for the first time since 2010.
After a few false starts, Rowntree won his first local election in 2017, winning a seat on Norwich County Council. He left in 2021, citing shielding responsibilities during the pandemic. When he announced his candidacy for the national government, he said: “Residents have the best chance in a generation to make their vote count and return a Labor MP to parliament. The Tories have run out of ideas and the Lib Dems have run out of steam. I am running for parliament to bring the energy and vision that the region so desperately needs.”
Rowntree was involved in the recent reformation of Blur, which produced The Ballad of Darren and the next Live at Wembley Stadium album and movie; also released the solo album Radio songs last year.
