Last week’s election was a historic one ending 14 years of Conservative party rule with a Labour victory with the party securing over 410 Parliamentary seats however unluckily for some Labour candidates in certain constituencies failed to gain seats like Blur’s Dave Rowntree. The Mid Sussex seat was awarded to the Liberal Democrat candidate Alison Elizabeth Bennett’s who managed to snatch up 39% of the vote share. The Mid Sussex district is a solid conservative area so despite the surprising Lib-Dem win, Rowntree only gained 17% of the vote coming in third behind the Conservatives. This is the first time the Tory party have been unseated since the constituency’s establishment in 1974.

The Mid Sussex constituency includes the town’s Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath and the Mid Sussex villages. Rowntree has been operating in the political sphere for some time now winning his first local election in 2017 which granted him a seat on Norwich County Council however Labour selected him to run for a more senior role this year as MP for Mid Sussex.

According to an article by Pitchfork, Rowntree announced his entering into the race in a statement where he stated that ‘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’.

After the polls were counted on Friday morning, Rowntree took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to congratulate his fellow party members who obtained parliamentary seats and also to thank the residents who voted for him.

Thank you so much to my campaign team and the 9397 people who voted for me in Mid Sussex!
It was a privilege to be a small part of such a momentous day, and I’m immenseley proud of my @UKLabour friends who are now Members of Parliament.
Onwards and upwards!#Win24 pic.twitter.com/5EV3HaxLAF

— Dave Rowntree (@DaveRowntree) July 6, 2024

Rowntree took part in Blur’s reunion as the group rebounded after an 8 year hiatus to play a round of shows across the world which they wrapped up last December in North America. the reformation of the hit 90s brit-pop band saw the creation of their 9th studio album The Ballad of Darren in 2023 as well as their anticipated Live at Wembley album which hits the shelves on the 26th of July as well as their concert film which you can catch in cinemas on September 6th. You can read about the upcoming concert film and live album as well as the band’s upcoming documentary film Blur: To the End here.

According to a recent report by The Times, Mr. Watson, a former Shadow Culture Secretary, will receive a salary of £60,000 for 40 days’ work a year. Doubt has also been raised as to the breadth of Mr. Watson’s knowledge of the music industry.

But, striving to validate the fairness and diplomacy of their decision, UK Music announced: All UK Music’s member organisations were actively involved in the … recruitment process for the new Chair which culminated in the appointment of Tom Watson.

Mr. Watson’s reputation has been mired, however, by his record of backing disproved claims of paedophilia, resulting in the persecution of innocent public figures. It is for his exertion of political influence over police enquiries, stoking a witch hunt against politicians and senior military officials, that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has led the charge against Watson being denied a peerage.

Some have taken to Twitter to express their distaste with UK Music’s decision.

Harvey Proctor, who was falsely accused of raping and murdering children in a witch hunt led by Tom Watson, has joined a string of politicians, music executives and performers urging UK Music to sack the former deputy Labour leader as its new chairman.
https://t.co/ZsIxPz7CP5

— Max Aitchison (@max_aitchison) April 26, 2020

Such connections do not put the former MP in good stead to be leading a major lobbying group such as UK Music. As to whether he is the right man for the job, Tom Watson is, by his own admission, principally a politician. According to his own website, tom-watson.com, he has served on the frontline of politics over four decades. He worked at the heart of 10 Downing Street as a Minister with Gordon Brown and served as a Defence Minister for Tony Blair. 

It does make one wonder what on earth any of this has to do with the UK music industry. But, spoken as a true politician, Mr. Watson made his intentions clear in a statement announcing his new appointment: Our urgent task is to work with our colleagues and partners in Government to support the national effort to defeat coronavirus, whilst protecting the jewel in the crown of British culture – commercial music.