Russell Brand summed up nicely.....

[????]

http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/books/the-gospel-according-to-russell-brand-9829024.html?origin=internalSearch

I know 'he's saying something important' at a verry general level BUT

[Jah Lush]

Ego driven twat.

(Not you Quids, obviously).

[edcam]

He's a tedious turd monkey.

[maxxi]

I like him - in a 'world would be duller without' kind of way.

He makes it easy to twatterise him but there's something about the 'leave political thinking to the grown-ups sonny' attitude, from a lot of those who make their living at it, that will "strike an irksome chord with young disaffected yoof methinks*."

*as I can almost hear him say.

[Salsaboy]

He always looks like he needs a good wash.

[El Pibe]

Russell Brand says he's using his fame to promote a certain kind of politics. But really it's the other way round.— Tom Freeman (@SnoozeInBrief) November 3, 2014

 

[Earl Aelfheah]

He's charismatic, and sincere. But also hugely wrong.

[Alan Medic]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/11286999/Russell-Brand-v-Nigel-Farage-on-BBC-Question-Time-what-to-expect.html

Preview of Question Time tonight. Brand v Farage.

[Loz]

Someone in the Guardian comments called him "Fey Guevara". I laughed.

[steveo]

It might be bollocks but I do just wish I could be that erudite that fast. I can only do the witty riposte three days after the event

Anyway, he terrifies American TV presenters and that's a very good thing

[Loz]

It always seems to me he is more loquacious than erudite.

[uncleglen]

He is on Question time tonight- I can't bring myself to watch it

[El Pibe]

You can see why Farage keeps winning support, he answered questions as opposed to avoided them (they did rather fall into his lap a bit) and it was hard to fault much of what he said.

Brand should have genned up by watching Nick Griffin's failure. Question time doesn't fare well as a soap box, and a good audience, as this one was, will rip yo uto shreds, as this one did. He was absolutely silent by the end, which was nice.

[Jeremy]

I don't understand why a comedian who became famous for his hair is suddenly being taken seriously-ish on his poiltical opinions. Especially after Paxman exposed the shallowness of his views.

[????]

Nigel Farage described as a "Pound shop Enoch Powell" is spot on though

[david_carnell]

Interesting UKIP/Immigration graphic

[El Pibe]

it was good, but smacked of Steveo's clever thing to say half an hour after the argument was lost.

[El Pibe]

That does make perfect sense really. It's about perception isn't it. Where immigrant percentages are low there will be a greater perception that you homogeneity is under threat.

[david_carnell]

Fear of the unknown too? Whereas those areas who live among high levels of immigrants realise there's nothing to worry about?

That and people in Norfolk and Lincolnshire are inbred half-wits.

[Blah Blah]

Wow that's an interesting map david. Do you think perhaps those are also areas where the economy is flat lining most and that immigants have always been the first line of attack in those circumstances? What I also notice from the map is that it covers urban areas that have been in economic decline for decades and perhaps a disillusion with mainstream parties to represent them is also at play?

[El Pibe]

It could of course be nothing to do with immigration, but as you say, a sense that westminster doesn't care about them.

[holloway]

russell brand got toasted on question time. there was obviously a large ukip following in the audience though. think his heart is in the right place though...

[Blah Blah]

Yes I wonder if that's more the case. I think part of the appeal of Farage is his direct no nonsense way of speaking. And the focus on immigration has also been used as a damocles sword against him, when actually his reason for success in garnering support may actually be his way of communicating. Perhaps the focus on his messages on immigration is a red herring there. Westminster have missed the point of Farage, to their detriment?

[Blah Blah]

I think Brand did ok on Question Time Holloway. He tried to keep the focus on the inequality of the ecomony (and rightly so), whilst others wanted to distract with immigration draining resources being the reason there's no money to go around ordinary people. He is a lone voice though in that repsect. No major party is giving any policy designed to get employment and wages up. They may flirt with it, as Miliband has done in recent days, but there's no mention of how it's going to be achieved.

[????]

The map is a simplification though, there are some more micro factors

ie my undesrtanding is that in Rural eastern areas there are not many immigrants per se BUT EU immigrants are heavily involved in industries, such as agriculture, as cheap labour

and down at heel seaside towns in the SE do have relatively large EU populations in smaller traditionaly small c Conservative towns.

At an aggregate levels these are lost on the map.

And the Welsh and Cornish have always been inward looking bigots anyway :), I susppect if there was a 'I hate the english party' in those two places they colours would be even darker