28May

As trailed last week, Ann Widdecombe gave her personal statement to the Commons, speaking about the firing in 1995 of Derek Lewis by then-interior minister Michael Howaerd. Miss Widdecombe stated that Mr. Howaerd had taken refuge in semantic prestidigitation, and gave us the lead quote. The new government announced plans to ban sports sponsorship by tobacco companies, and to cut bureaucracy in the NHS. There were claims that Mohammed Sarwar Lab, Glasgow Govan had bribed another candidate to stand aside; Labour's response was to set up an inquiry, which will report later in the summer.

Local elections in Northern Ireland resulted in the Unionists losing seats to the Nationalists, and their temper at allegations of vote-fixing. ROSPA called for a ban on drivers using mobile phones while driving; the ban would enter law in 2004, enforcement has yet to begin. Bailiffs began to evict people from a proposed second runway at Manchester airport. Myra Hindley won permission to challenge a court ruling that she should spend the rest of her life in jail; proceedings were still proceeding when she died in 2002.

Dozens were injured following clashes outside a pop concert in Nicosia. The concert was organised by the UN to promote peace across the island. Bill Clinton accused the fashion industry of glamourising heroin chic. Voters in Iran elected the moderate cleric Mohammad Khatami as their new president.

Spaghetti Junction celebrated its 25th birthday by putting on a display of jam. Andrew Lloyd Webber sold off his collection of wine. In three one-day cricket internationals, England beat Australia by three matches to nil. Kilmarnock won the Scottish cup, beating Falkirk 1:0. Magdalen Oxford booked their place in the University Challenge final, beating the perpetual nearly-team of Manchester.

A quiet week, with 17 new entries, just three of them falling outside the top 40. Spellbound's one week of fame came with Heaven on earth at 73, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were at 67, and the Counting Crows posted Daylight fading at 54. Not that we didn't have our usual run of slumpers, including the Orb dropping 20-49, Duran Duran moving 21-47, Placebo going 14-41, Aaliyah 15-39, and Ginuwine 16-35.

First of fourteen new entries into the top 40 came at 33, with The Stereophonics' More life in a tramp's vest. Symposium came in at 32 with The answer to why I hate you; of the two bands, this was by far the more inventive and entertaining, which explains why the other has gone on to annoy the hell out of us since. They don't like having the The capitalised, apparently, but we don't like hearing their drivel passed off as quality music, so there. Two dance entries: Double 99's RIP groove at 31, which would go on to be a much bigger hit in 1998; and Jeremy Healy and Amos's Argentina at 30, which wouldn't. Cake's rather pointless version of I will survive came in at 29; somewhat to our surprise, it remains the group's last top 40 hit, as the UK remained oblivious to the charms of 2001's Short skirt long jacket. More dance from Fluke - Absurd was new at 25. Rockers Geneva had their biggest single hit as Tranquilizer entered at 24. Suggs and the Chelsea squad climbed two places to 22, their second consecutive two place climb.

Seven new entries into the top 20, for those who have also been reading James Masterton's commentary. Basement Jaxx entered at 19 with Fly life; they would re-invent themselves as a garage bunch, and clog up the top ten for much of 1999-2001. Monaco's second and final single, Sweet lips, was in at 18. Strike's big hit single had been You sure do, a top-five smash from April 1995. The group had had a few minor hit singles with faintly new-age themes, but nothing threatened to trouble the top twenty until I have peace came in at 17. Matt Cantor and Andy Gardner continue to record house tunes (which are, apparently, different from garage tunes), while Victoria Newton's vocals have been wrapped around some jazz tracks.

Faith No More had their first hit in a couple of years as Ashes to ashes came in at 15. After two top ten singles, Warren G stalled at 14 with Smoking me out. No Mercy slipped from 4 to 13, Toni Braxton fell from 9 to 12, and DJ Quicksilver's two months in the top ten ended as Bellissima dropped from 10 to 11. R. Kelly came down two to 10 - the lower of two former number ones in the top 20 - Damage slipped three to 9, and Katrina and the Waves tumbled five to 8. No move at number 7 for Shola Ama; of the first seven weeks on chart for You might need somebody, no fewer than five had been at this position - the chart run was the nearly-symmetrical 7-7-6-7-4-7-7.

The Cardigans slipped a place to 6, and the Rembrants' re-issue of the theme from Friends was the fastest climber, up 6 to 5. New at number 4 was Rosie Gaines, performing Closer than close. Gaines had begun her career as a vocalist and keyboard player on Prince's 1990 tour; her main claim to fame was hitting the high note at the end of the Diamonds and pearls track. After getting in a wrangle with Warners, Gaines released an album through Motown in 1995; the title track was left off the album, and emerged as a single two years later. Though a tremendous hit, Gaines was stereotyped as a disco diva, and after the follow-up single stalled, her career ground to a halt. A shame. Last week's number one from Olive slips to this week's number 3, while Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli hold firm at 2.

The new number one, probably the best number one of the year, came from Eternal. They'd been having top ten hits pretty much every quarter since 1993, and survived a reduction from four to three, shedding Louise Nurding in 1995. The remaining singers - Esther and Vernie Bennett and Kelle Bryan - were by now on their third album, and followed their gospel roots to a recording session with Bebe Winans. The result was I want to be the only one, a song that lifts the heart with not one, not two, but three key changes during its progression. The lasses deserved their moment in the sun, and their back catalogue is chock full of other good songs.

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