BLUR drummer Dave Rowntree will stand for the Labour party at the next General Election.

I'm not sure what his policies are likely to include, and as it's for a London seat I don't particularly care, but it did set us thinking about other pop stars we'd like to see in the Houses of Parliament.

The by-no-means-comprehensive list so far includes Keith Richards as drugs czar - well let's face it, he has the experience if not the qualifications - while Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie could be in charge of multiculturalism, meaning Hello! magazine spreads of their home life could double as party political broadcasts.

Thom Yorke as environment minister would be a favourite, and The Long Blondes' Kate Jackson would make a glamorous addition to any debate - women's minister perhaps?

Minister for parties (a newly created post, but terribly important) could be shared by the members of electro-punk outfit Does It Offend You, Yeah? whose band name could also be a handy slogan when the Daily Tory starts branding youngsters who stay out past 10.30pm as "feral".

Unfortunately the pop stars we don't want to see are the ones who insist on dabbling in trying to run the world - yes Bono, Geldof and Chris Martin, we do mean you.

Aye, there's the rub - when musicians start taking themselves too seriously we stop taking them seriously at all.