Russell brand

With Russell Brand no longer an active revolutionary, having officially retired from politics after failing to make an impact on the general election, there's a vacancy for a new celebrity champion of fashionable political causes. Thankfully Benedict Cumberbatch appears to be doing his best to fit the bill. The Sherlock actor made the news last week after he ranted on-stage about the government's response to the refugee crisis following a performance of Hamlet at the Barbican. According to the Daily Mail, Cumberbatch let it be known that he thought the government's pledge to take 20,000 refugees was not enough, before -- eloquently -- concluding: 'f--- the politicians'.

Who argues that a 'shadow state' controls Britain? That a gang of faraway, faceless suits 'orchestrate public life from the shadows', from their 'yachts in the Mediterranean'? Who thinks people in 'the shadows', who always remain 'hidden', exercise a 'poisonous, secretive influence on public life'? A spotty sixth-former who spends way too much time on the internet, perhaps? Or maybe one of those cranky guys who hangs out in the discussion threads of David Icke's website, convinced that lizards in suits run the world? Actually it's Tom Watson, new deputy leader of the Labour Party.

Jeremy Corbyn has been having a difficult time of late. The Labour leadership favourite has become increasingly tetchy with the media after facing questions about his links to a Holocaust denier, as well as being the subject of criticism from a host of former Labour bigwigs. However, there is one man who he can rely on to fight his corner; step forward Russell Brand. Although Ed Miliband had to pay a late night visit to the comedian-turned-revolutionary's £2 million apartment in order to win his endorsement during the general election, Brand has come out for Corbyn all on his own accord.

After anti-austerity protesters turned on Russell Brand for endorsing Labour at a protest on Saturday, it was only a matter of time til Ed Miliband faced a similar backlash over his party's defeat. Alas for Miliband, his takes musical form. Sleaford Mods - the working class mod band - have attacked the former Labour leader in their new album, with the song In Quiet Streets: 'Miliband got hit with the ugly stick, not that it matters. The chirping c--t obviously wants the country in tatters' Boris Johnson is also in their firing line with the song Rupert Trousers inspired by his speech at last year’s party conference, where he used a brick to demonstrate his plan to build more homes.

Forget Vince Cable. Forget, if you can, Ed Balls (and I know that’s hard, because what a joyous result that was). Expel from your mind the image of Nick Clegg crying into his cornflakes this morning while texting his old pals in the Euro-oligarchy to see if they will give him a new plush job that involves no contact with pesky plebs. For last night there was an even bigger loser than those guys. Russell Brand. Or ‘Rusty Rockets’, as his politics-packed Twitterfeed has it. Rusty being the operative word, for now we know that the much-hyped ability of slebs like Brand to sway public sentiment is in a serious state of decomposition.

Whoever comes top on Thursday, Labour has won the only poll that really matters – that of Britain’s beloved celebrities, with recent endorsements by Steve Coogan, Delia Smith, Robert Webb, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Jo Brand, among others. The Tories in contrast can only muster a few self-made businesswomen and Peter Stringfellow. https://twitter.com/PJStringfellow/status/595577294355238915 Labour’s most important conquest, however, has to be comedian-turned-people’s poet Russell Brand, who previously suggested that voting was a waste of time, but now backs Ed Miliband. When it comes to this 21st-century political colossus, no one can better Rod Liddle’s words from a few months ago: ‘That’s why I enjoy my mornings in bed with Russell.

There’ll be satisfaction in the Labour leader’s office today as Russell Brand has done a reverse-ferret and urged his voters to vote and vote Labour. Or, to be more precise, to vote Labour in England—with the exception of Brighton where he wants them to vote Green. He seems to be implicitly urging a vote for the SNP in Scotland. To win Brand over, Miliband channelled his former US grassroots adviser Arnie Graf and talked about community politics and how the idea of a living wage came not from a policy seminar but activists in the US talking to low-paid workers. But Brand’s endorsement is of limited value given that it comes long after the deadline for registering to vote.

At a recent screening of his new capitalism documentary the Emperor's New Clothes, Russell Brand, the revolutionary who refuses to vote, said he was too angry to say nice things about today's politicians: ‘When I watch it [the Emperor's New Clothes], I sort of think come on Russell people really want to hear you say something about the election like Caroline Lucas is lovely, or Natalie Bennett is lovely, or Tom Watson is lovely or Ed Miliband is really trying his hardest, but when I watch this I think "nooo! Justice!"’ However just a week later and the comedian has changed his tune. After Ed Miliband paid a late-night visit to his home earlier this week, Brand has been inspired to ditch his anti-voting policy for one MP and their constituency.