Russell Brand

As for RB being a hypocrite, what are you supposed to do if you come from a humble, even disadvantaged background, gravitate towards left wing politics/anarchism and then suddenly make it and become rich?

Seems you can only do two things to resolve the dissonance. One you can give your money away and continue to live in squalor. Two you can change your political views and take elocution lessons.

Or you can just live with the contradiction.

Did you actually hear that tape, petallus? You wouldn't need to be very conservative to have been shocked and mortified to learn what your granddaughter had been up to...

It took ages for Sachs and his granddaughter to start speaking again. I wonder if Sachs is a bit on the conservative side.

Oh gosh yes!

I have plenty of bile for Jonathon Ross over that abusive phone call to Andrew Sachs. Russell Brand had the (possible) excuse of being youngish and brash, Jonathon Ross was old enough to know better.

You'll find it's Andrew Sachs I think , Jonathan ( Lord) Sacks is a former Chief Rabbi.

I think the strutting around and rude words etc. are just part of the show he has to put on.

I doubt if he's that bad really. The Jonathan Sachs thing was, of course, pathetic, but hopefully he's learned a lesson now.

I think there is a general sense of 'let's all bash Russell Brand' in the media.
OK he made a mistake with the Andrew Sachs thing but so did Jonathan Ross but he doesn't invite the same bile. Quentin Letts did a double page spread in the Daily Mail a few months ago slagging Russell Brand off. He said some dreadful things about Brand and I don't know how he got away with it to be honest. He also said that Brand had performed on stage in Cambridge the week before and described how he 'strutted around the stage, making rude gestures, using the F word regularly'. So this man paid to see a Brand show (or his bosses did) just so he could write a very defamatory article about him. What a horrible thing to do. He obviously went to the show with pre-conceived ideas and was then rather smug about proving himself right. I don't know Russell Brand and have no idea what he is really like but he has kicked a severe drugs habit and now tries to help others so he can't be all bad. Oh and he's good to his mum who is poorly. Sorry that I have strayed from the original post.

wanders away mumbling the "I predict a riot" song

I intensely disliked Russell Brand after the phone call to whatshisname saying he had shagged his granddaughter.

Then some months later I read one of his articles in the Guardian and was surprised at how articulate and sincere he sounded in his left wing views. I like the few things I have read since.

I too don't know much more than that about RB but then I don't know any MPs in great depth. In spite of RB's unfortunate way of expressing himself sometimes, I would trust him to say what he thought.

nancyB I can understand why you feel you have been 'gone after' though that may not have been the intention of the poster.

NancyB There is no opportunity to vote for Russell Brand, as he is not going to stand for Parliament. He is not going to be a presenter on Newsnight either.

The article mentioned the new editor of Newsnight. After the interview between Jeremy Paxman and Russell Brand, the new editor seems to prefer Brand's style and attitude to Paxman's, but I don't think he likes him enough to employ him in a job that needs such intelligence and careful thought.

That is why Soutra was puzzled at you saying that you would vote for him. You said yourself that "To be honest I do not know too much about Politics, and not exactly sure of all of RB's views" so why would you vote for him, even if were daft enough to stand for election?

In any case he has said that people should not vote. Without people voting no-one would have any say at all in how they were governed. That attitude is for anarchists, each for himself and the devil take the hindermost.

nancyb (I hope I am not putting words into "soutras* mouth here.)

I wonder if what soutra was suggesting was that as you had said you not know much about the subject of politics or politicians, it might be difficult for you to know just who could or not be trusted.

So as we have 600+ MPs, how can anyone outside of politics know enough about all of them to say that there are only two or three of them that you can actually trust.

It is interesting you think "Russell Brand is the man who "Actually does care enough"???

This is the man who made very insensitive, vulgar and intrusive phone calls to an elderly man late at night and talked about wanting to shag his grand daughter.
I missed RB on Newsnight so can you let me know more about his political views and ideas so I can make some better judgement about whether I felt I could vote for him.

What are you talking about? What is demanding in saying "of course you are entitled to your opinion...." and "perhaps nancyb could tell us which 2 or 3 MPs she trusts". You said the thread was getting dafter when I referred to voting for RB so what is your point exactly (please pretty pkease with sugar on it and a cherry on the top)? Is that askung nicely enough for you?

It's all in the way you phrase your posts. Sounds demanding.

How? When? Where?

Picking on Nancyb?

Another word for what? And as I don't take kindly to unwarranted accusations - what exactly have I done?

Actually there's another word for it but I'm buggered if I can think what it is.

I'm rather partial to dogs with bones - shows tenacity, determination, well sort of doggedness - admirable characteristics- keeping going at something and not giving up - people like that tend to achieve quite a lot

I wasn't aware we had "met" - remind me how I have "gone after you threetimes"?

soutra you remind me of a dog with a bone, you have gone after me three times now.

I am entittled to my opinion, if you don't like my opinion then I suggest you don't read it

thatbags and terribull you are spot on with your remarks about RB.

I imagine we could all come up with our favourite two or three - wonder if nancyb would like to tell us hers?

I'm wondering which two or maybe three Nancy b is thinking of?

I can think of many who are committed and have the best interests of their constituents at heart. And I think the constant cynicism about MPs and the parliamentary system undermines democracy and leads to the low turnout at elections.

I was referring to what nancyb said yesterday -

" I would vote for him because he truly wants to make a difference for the better and does have peoples best interest at heart, how many present MP'S can we say that about, out of all present MP's, 2 maybe three. "