Professor Brian Cox responds to D:Ream’s ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ drowning out Rishi Sunak’s election announcement

23 May, 2024

two side by side photographs of Rishi Sunak (left) and Brian Cox (right)

Professor Brian Cox has responded to D:Ream’s ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ being played over a loudspeaker as Rishi Sunak announced the summer general election.

Yesterday evening (May 22), the Prime Minister confirmed that the UK would be going to the polls on Thursday July 4. Addressing the nation outside 10 Downing Street, Sunak said it was “the moment for Britain to choose its future”.

The PM delivered the speech as he stood in the heavy rain, and was drowned out by the sound of D:Ream’s 1993 single ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ – which was the election campaign song for Labour in 1997.

Famous physicist Cox – who is known for his space and science programmes on TV – played keyboards for the pop/dance band in the ’90s. Taking to X/Twitter last night, he shared a clip of Sunak’s announcement containing an alternate soundtrack.

“‘Things Can Only Get Better’ is of course the most appropriate song for today,” Cox wrote of the footage, “but let me throw another one into the ring to add a little variety…”

His version featured the Luciano Michelini-composed track ‘Il barone rosso’ (aka ‘Frolic’) – best known as the theme from US sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm. The instrumental is also popular within meme culture – often accompanying awkward or embarrassing moments.

You can see Cox’s post below, along with the original video of Sunak’s speech.

Cox described ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ as “one of the most misleading and scientifically inaccurate pop songs that’s ever been written” during an appearance on Charlie Brooker’s 2016 Wipe.

“It’s just inaccurate, scientifically inaccurate” he continued. “Things get worse.”

In April, the professor said the Tories had “given up” in an update on X/Twitter: “It seems to me that the Conservative Party’s strategy is to bury their heads in the sand until after the election, at which point they will blame the in-coming Labour government for the (escalating) consequences of Brexit and claim that it would have been fine if only we had a Conservative government.”

Anti-Brexit protestor Steve Bray was the man responsible for D:Ream’s ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ being played during Sunak’s speech. He subsequently shared footage of himself pointing a loudspeaker at the gates of Downing Street.

“We had a good run at Downing Street but both amplifiers got soaked and blown,” Bray wrote. “They lasted for the moment that mattered.” Watch above.

TV critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan has pointed out that D:Ream are booked for Glastonbury 2024, which takes place the weekend before the general election. Re-posting the tweet, one person wrote: “[Keir] Starmer has the chance to do the funniest thing ever.”

Elsewhere at Glasto, Shadow Deputy PM Angela Rayner is scheduled to appear at an election panel in the Left Field alongside Caroline Lucas MP, Danny Sriskandarajah, Stephen Bush and John Harris.

The election campaign begins as the Conservatives trail 20 points behind Labour in the polls. Starmer is widely expected to become the next UK Prime Minister after 14 years of Tory rule.

Responding to yesterday’s news, he said it was “time for change” away from the “chaos” of the Tories. “Only a changed Labour party will get Britain’s future back,” Starmer explained. “And make no mistake, the Labour Party has changed.”

The Conservative Party suffered historic losses in the UK local elections earlier this month.

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