Politics
Harry Fletcher
May 23, 2024
Reuters
Anti-Brexit protestor Steve Bray has been a visible presence outside Downing Street for years now, and he gave us an instantly classic moment in British politics on Wednesday night (May 22).
Sunak’s general election announcement was overshadowed by the rain and the music blaring from loud speakers set up by Bray outside the Downing Street gates.
That song was ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ by D:Ream, which was the anthem of Labour ahead of their 1997 election win.
Bray - who, bizarrely, came close to fighting Lee Anderson last year - has now spoken about his decision to play the song, saying he wanted to “troll” Sunak and the Tories.
Speaking about the track, he said he wanted to play it as a reminder of the Tory landslide defeat in the 1997, rather than as an outright show of support for Labour.
Leon Neal/Getty Images
“I thought about what would be the best trolling tune if he announced the election,” he told PA.
“And of course, it had to be Things Can Only Get Better. Because everybody can relate to that and the 1997 election.
“I didn’t do it for Labour. I did it because it was the top trolling song for the Conservatives.”
Considering the impact the song had on people hearing the announcement, he said: “Look at the damage Sunak’s done to the country. If they couldn’t hear the speech, it’s still reported. They’ll know what he said.”
Speaking about the protest on the day, which eventually saw him get banned after receiving complaints, Bray said: “Of course, the police are trying to shut us down all the time. Both of the amps got soaked and they blew anyway.
“It was just so wet today. Water got into them and they were just gone. I’ll just buy some more.”
Sunak announced a general election for July 4, and people are suggesting that Steve McClaren could be blamed for the prime minister deciding not to hold an umbrella in the rain.
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