[Closed] Russle brand 'the trews'?

The video is really just an expanded version of his initial response tbh- "My rent isn't the story, you're trying to distract from the real issue"

He's got a good point though... aside from all those who benefit, who has authority over and thus allows all these tax havens to continue?

@mefty - you can search oh the guardian for details of the charity, from my recollection there where a number of charities with a stake in the development, the main one set up many years ago the original founder died and his children had different objectives. It wasn't the charities sole objective to manage social housing that was just one thing they did. They sold up to fund other projects, a hospital I understand in Isreal was one of the major ones.

Ok so who is the right person for the job then? Some mythical person who is the reincarnation of Jesus and lives in a cardboard box?

Just about anyone tbh. Brand pretty much tops the list of "the wrong person" if we exclude actual [i]evil[/i] people.

There's no need to suggest it needs to be some wonderful mythical character. Just someone who's no where near the same level of flouncy self indulgent massive dickwadery that Brand achieves. But if we keep to just comedians, basically anyone that hasn't been done for tax evasion or some other crime.

Are you actually reading this thread and thinking. Wow Brands doing an amazing job. or are you thinking, why the focus on the man and not the message. If, and it's a massive 'if' he dropped out of character and communicated without the flounce, literally played the dead pan straight man (even if that's not the real him) I reckon he'd do some good by highlighting the subject matter. But most of what he's actually doing is highlighting himself.

Mate... That's fascinating and all that, but I like him, I can identify with him and I'm pretty certain by his popularity that others identify with him too..
He certainly feels a lot more accessible than some dour humourless codger with a chip on their shoulder and money on their mind..
He's opening up socially responsible political ideas to folk who may not have engaged otherwise, and his passion and charisma is inspiring people..

If you feel politics belongs solely to sour grey people, with sour grey personalities and sour grey lives that's your look out

Ok so who is the right person for the job then? Some mythical person who is the reincarnation of Jesus and lives in a cardboard box?

Sweet baby Jesus and the orphans! You'd think the stuff that he's drawing attention too was something new. That he's some groundbreaking revolutionary in the mould of Che Guavara (this certainly appears to be what he thinks!)

If you genuinely want to know about stuff like this, and keep yourself informed, but don't want to all the preachy, messiah stuff that goes with Brand, its not difficult! Read [url= http://www.theguardian.com/profile/owen-jones ]Owen Jones[/url] or [url= http://www.naomiklein.org/main ]Naomi Klein[/url]

If you want a witty humorous take on it then read [url= http://marksteelinfo.com ]Mark Steel[/url]

All are infinitely better informed - probably something to do with actually doing boring research and stuff - and far less compromised and woefully self-absorbed. And more importantly actually offer up decent analysis, that makes sense, rather than sixth-form-level ranting, and self-promoting grandstanding! And who's solutions don't enter the realms of mindlessly self-defeating horse shit like 'democracy is rubbish! Lets all stop voting!". Yeah [url= http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/politics/politics-headlines/uk-thanks-russell-brand-2014052786930 ]Cheers Russ![/url]

Interestingly, I've just read this on Mark Steels site:

[i]Website forums, which promised unprecedented global debate and discourse all seem to degenerate into the same nine people slagging each other off, like Eastenders with exclamation marks[/i] 😆

If you feel politics belongs solely to sour grey people

No i dont, not by any stretch of the imagination. Not in anyway what so ever.

He certainly feels a lot more accessible than some dour humourless codger with a chip on their shoulder and money on their mind.

😯 Brands shoulder chip is so ****ing massive Im astonished he can walk.

Binners +1

Pretty much nails it for me

binners - Member

Sweet baby Jesus and the orphans! You'd think the stuff that he's drawing attention too was something new.

Nobody thinks that. He certainly doesn't! As you can see in the original video where he doesn't do half the things he's accused of, but does tell us he's trying to help bring attention to someone else's good work.

Oh guys.. you're clearly not his target audience, but that shouldn't make you so cross 😆

However threatened and appalled you are by this precocious young upstart, and however much that clouds your judgement, you're right about one thing..

He's not the right man for the job..

That honour goes to the politicians, high court judges, European courts and law enforcement agencies..

It's been a long long time comin' but change gonna come brothers

you're clearly not the target audience,

Binners is correct its like listening to an egotistical "spiritual" teenager tell you how to solve all the worlds problems.

Essentially it well meaning, with his heart in the right place, so you want to hug him. However its so ****ing stupid you want to laugh, slap him and tell him to STFU.

His its all shit so lets stop voting being a classic example of this. He is right in his analysis but that is not the solution at all and plays right into the hands of the "man" they want to defeat. Idiotically self defeating

It's been a long long time comin' but change gonna come brothers

However threatened and appalled you are by this precocious young upstart, and however much that clouds your judgement, you're right about one thing..

Incorrect

My problem is that it's a wasted oppurtunity to reach and influence the maximum possible audience.

Incorrect

My problem is that it's a wasted oppurtunity to reach and influence the maximum possible audience
.
.
.
so how else could he/someone do that then???

love him or hate him, I think he's doing rather well at getting the messages out there.

I think we can all agree he is phenomenal at generating [self] publicity*.
what we are debating is the message.

* for good and bad he gets it out there but the media then try to turn it into a debate about him rather than about the issue so a mixed bag IMHO.

look here fellas, you're like overweight disgruntled just past middle aged helplessly cynical forum dwellers in the main..

I suspect there isn't much in the world that could reach you.. the point is that Brand does reach people, he's not gonna reach them all, and he's not the answer, but he is a useful cog in a large machine..

I don't quite know why you guys are so desperate for a perfect knight in shining armour to come along and rescue us all in their strong and masterful arms... too many SF novels and princess fantasies perhaps.. he's not running for prime minister FFS 😆

Brand is a voice, an amusing and articulate comedian speaking clearly about the current issues in society.. what's your beef.. like really?

He's actually a complete liability to the causes he seeks to champion. Because he's so compromised (to anyone who's past puberty, and has something between their ears) that he's a gift to the powers that be, who want to dismiss genuine concerns and grievances. He takes genuine issues and cheapens them by mixing it in with all his faux spiritual bollocks, and the need to sacrifice everything, no matter how legitimate or worthy, at the alter of his absolutely enormous ego.

I'm sure the more enlightened among those he claims to be championing are wishing he'd just **** off as he;'s doing more harm than good, and is turning the whole thing into a circus. Without actually achieving anything.

Whoever said there's no such thing as bad publicity, was talking as much shite as Russell tends too.

if you say so

binners - Member

I'm sure the more enlightened among those he claims to be championing are wishing he'd just **** off as he;'s doing more harm than good,

Well it's nice of you to speak for them, but the New Era guys seem very pleased to have him on board. Maybe they're not very enlightened?

The media play the man, and you blame the man for getting played. Well done. If anyone's a gift to the powers that be in this exchange, it's people who think like that.

thing is binners, my love, is that honestly he's done more for politics than nearly every single politician ever has for my friends (and me if I'm honest).

I can just show people eps of the trews and go, don't understand syria? watch this.

Even if people disagree and what to argue about they've at least got aware!!

Even if he looks like he hasn't washed, and Russ? stop doing the trews in your bathrobe, it's not a good look 😆

Saw some more photos/video yesterday from the protest march, couple of nice Mercedes in the car park and black cabs again, A London cabbie certainly makes enough money to pay a market rent.

The people in this development have had a great deal, living in private accommodation at council / social housing rents. Unfortunately that deal is over, it was never for life, it was never "their" home. The local council has washed their hands of them saying they will not re-house them as they are not homeless, that's a policy decision. One they could waive. As I have said many times this is an issue of government/local authority policy in not building more social housing, as we speak the local authorities (Labour controlled) are doing all they can to sell off their housing stock in central London. They's rather do that than make cuts to their budgets, G-d forbid some of them might lose their jobs.

I can just show people eps of the trews and go, don't understand syria? watch this.

The media play the man

Yes, they will. And that needs to be effectively counterbalanced.

Northwind - unlike Russ, I'm not claiming to speak on behalf of anyone. I'm just saying that if it was me, then I'd be a bit more grateful for the long running campaign for New Era in the Guardian, than for Russ giving up an afternoon to have a rant, then make the front page of the Sun the following day under the headline 'Hypocrite'. You think thats doing their campaign much good? In reality he's an absolute gift to exactly the people he's claiming to oppose! But he's too blinded by his own messiah complex to ever see that

Respectfully emsz your generation does not vote and appealing to you , informing you and then saying dont vote is hardly a threat to the world order.

I dont think anyone would disagree that his charismatic persona appeals to the young but his message is simplistic at times and is , respectfully, immature*.

If anyone's a gift to the powers that be in this exchange, it's people who think like that.

* god i feel old and like you granddad give you a lecture about how one day you will understand . I dont know if I have grown up and matured or if I have lost my idealism and fighting spirit.

binners - Member

Northwind - unlike Russ, I'm not claiming to speak on behalf of anyone.

No, you're not claiming to speak for them- you're just doing it.

Can I just add [url= http://www.independent.co.uk/biography/robert-fisk ]Robert Fisk[/url] to Binner's links, for anyone interested in the situation in the middle east?

Unfortunately that deal is over, it was never for life, it was never "their" home.

think of the money that is what matters 🙄

Jambalya and Junky, d'you think you could be a bit more patronising? You didn't quite nail it there.

People are turned off by politics, boring grey men and women in grey suits scoring points off each other isn't going to solve anything.

Lots of people start with Russell, then go on to look at loads of other stuff, I've found media lens, John Pilger, Robert Fisk through his channel. Most of my friends have started to register.

Respectfully emsz your generation does not vote and appealing to you , informing you and then saying dont vote is hardly a threat to the world order.

I suspect Brand is making the largest contribution in a long time as far as encouraging young folk to vote is concerned..

He advocated not voting during one flurry of churlish derisory interviews quite a while back.. his output since gaining an audience has been phenomenal and has been as far from encouraging voter apathy as can be imagined

Lots of people start with Russell, then go on to look at loads of other stuff, I've found media lens, John Pilger, Robert Fisk through his channel. Most of my friends have started to register.

Actually, it's probably more akin to a teenager's first experience of vomiting up cheap cider.

[i]Actually, it's probably more akin to a teenager's first experience of vomiting up cheap cider.[/i]

wow, have I missed the news this morning? didn't realise it was be a smug asshole day

d'you think you could be a bit more patronising?

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”

Mark Twain

I am trying to suggest that rather than patronise the shit out of you.

Interesting this 39 year olds main appeal is to the young rather than his own generation. Read into that what you want.

* Glad I added the caveats
** see told you I could.

Come on emsz. This is STW. Every day is smug asshole day! 😆

Interesting this 39 year olds main appeal is to the young rather than his own generation. Read into that what you want.

I dunno about that Junky.. He appeals to me, he appeals to a lot of people I know of all ages and from all walks of life..
I think his most [i]useful[/i] attribute is the fact that he appeals to the young maybe..

you really are clutching at straws with this.. erudite you may be, astute you seemingly are not

Junkyard - lazarus

Interesting this 39 year olds main appeal is to the young rather than his own generation. Read into that what you want.

Oh come on JY. His main appeal is to the politically disengaged, which naturally selfselects the young in large numbers. There's an entire political world dedicated to appealing to 39 year olds already.

EDIT: Written before seeing NW post
OH yes the young and stoners

erudite you may be, astute you seemingly are not

PS you may wish to consider what MAIN means and what SOLE would mean 😛

@ NW the point is if you you are middle aged and your outlook appeals to the generation before you then you may not have "grow up". I think his opinions supports this view though others disagree.

what's the average turnout at the ballot these days?

Are all those non-voters stoners?

He may not have 'grown up' at the same rate as you junky.. like many in generation X he probably spent a decade or two not giving a flying ****..

What is it we have to achieve when we grow up? Rolling over and playing dead..?

was Iceland immature to handle things the way it did?

Agree with Binners very accurate analysis/observations of Brand.

I don’t necessarily believe the rich and famous should be excluded from politicking and social action because they are rich and famous, however Brand’s motivations strike me as having more to do with sustaining his own relevancy and ego than advancing the forces of good. I don’t think his ‘running with the hare and hunting with the hounds’ approach renders him as a particularly credible character.

@emz - apologies if I was being patronising. I had no intention of doing so towards you, JY and I save that sort of thing of each other. Getting news/information/viewpoints from a variety of sources in important and IMO definitely in the case of the Middle East which is very complex. That was the point I was trying to make.

The comments above that Brand only made the don't vote remark once/in jest etc is typical of him and consistent with his outburst at the journalist. He's just shooting his mouth off randomly without engaging his brain, shouting down those who dare to even question him. When he realizes he has spoken total nonsense he tries to wriggle out of things. I would wager the vast majority of people who heard him say "don't vote" will believe that remains his position, they won't have heard or recall any clarification he makes at a later date.

I would wager the vast majority of people who heard him say "don't vote" will believe that remains his position, they won't have heard or recall any clarification he makes at a later date.

that's bollocks old bean... have you watched any of the trews broadcasts?

I did not say that and it does not follow from what I said.

PS if you were informed you would not need to ask 😉

This shows turnout by age.

[img] [/img]

hopefully he'll help to alter that graph in a constructive way innit blud

As with many things in life, Noel Galalghers take on it is always worth listening too

[i]“Well, I love Russell but he don't half talk out of his arse sometimes,”

“His fine, muscular, pert arse. He does talk a load of shit. I couldn't see him overthrowing a table of drinks. Do you think he's going to put himself in charge? Hmm, I wonder.”

“I was out with him the other night and he says it with a straight face. 'There is going to be a revolution.' And I'm like, '****ing hell, mate, give us a shout when you're going down The Mall with your pitchforks and that, I'll come and serenade you with my loot before we eat the Queen.

“He says, 'Come on mate, back us' and I'm like, 'If you make me the Duke Of Manchester then I'm in'.”[/i]

😆

What is it we have to achieve when we grow up? Rolling over and playing dead..?

Two view IMHO
1. If your views dont change as you age then you have failed to learn as you age

2. If your views change radically then you have sold out.

I may have given up I may have swapped my walk on part in war for a lead role in a cage. I certainly wont be rioting anytime soon like I used to nor doing direct action or any of the other stuff that probably got me on a file somewhere.

Perhaps i have rolled over and given up?

Hey, I was just trying to point out that people's tastes progress to the better stuff.

I was going to put something in about 'for those that can read without their lips moving', now that would have been smug.

I suppose he is pedagogue appealing to the commonality, that are starved of critical didactics by the monolithic institutions that seek to enslave paradigms.

I couldn't see him overthrowing a table of drinks. Do you think he's going to put himself in charge? Hmm, I wonder.

do you still really think that's what it's about..?

FFS :lol

his output since gaining an audience has been phenomenal and has been as far from encouraging voter apathy as can be imagined

that's about the the size of it for me

PARKLIFE

do you still really think that's what it's about..?

I'm just quoting one of his more astute mates.

[url= http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/celebrity/crucifying-russell-brand-could-save-mankind-2014101691784 ]maybe this is the answer?[/url]

😆

yah

This thread highlights many of the problems we face:

rather than work on solutions to the points raised by Brand, everyone tends to argue about the man himself.

History has shown that however we vote, we'll be taken for a ride by whoever is delegated the short term power bestowed upon them.

So who are the untouchables that have the real power to make long term change?

no idea who are they ?
Lizards?
Aliens?
Fictional?

rather than work on solutions to the points raised by Brand, everyone tends to argue about the man himself.

it's a very highbrow forum 😆

I reckon some bright minds can work it out... if I give you all the answers straight away, you won't do enough thinking 😉

Could have made for a fantastic London mayoral election

Diane Abbott, Russell Brand or Jeremy Paxman

Unfortunately Paxman has ruled himself out, so who are we going to sub for theTories, Portillo?

What if the main parties are 2 cheeks of the same arse?

Could have made for a fantastic London mayoral election

Diane Abbott, Russell Brand or Jeremy Paxman

I heard Russ Abbott was gonna stand

OK... I'll concede that Brand could well be lining hisself up for the mayor's role just to tick a bucket list box, and I have no idea what the outcome of Brands election to office would be, but to my mind whatever his motivation, the side effect is turning out to be a pretty constructive thing

Nah, Russ Abbott is in standby for Tory Scottish leader

[img] [/img]

Well he couldn't be any more of a clown than the present London Mayor

More importantly... all this nonsense better bloody well not be getting in the way of making Despicable Me 3 😀

[img] [/img]

in my mind whatever his motivation, the side effect is a pretty constructive thing

Not sure - there's an opportunity cost to Brand being the spokesman for an alternative. In Spain the same need arose but, instead of some mouthy celeb with a penchant for long words, that need was filled by a [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Iglesias_Turri%C3%B3n ]young university lecturer[/url] who has actually formed a [url= http://podemos.info/ ]political party[/url] and campaigned for votes. And he's doing very well, his party has the two main parties running scared and forced them to up their game.

Probably all a bit too risky and too much of an effort for Brand, though - much easier to "ask questions" and "raise awareness".

binners - Member
As with many things in life, Noel Galalghers take on it is always worth listening too

“Well, I love Russell but he don't half talk out of his arse sometimes,”

“His fine, muscular, pert arse. He does talk a load of shit. I couldn't see him overthrowing a table of drinks. Do you think he's going to put himself in charge? Hmm, I wonder.”

“I was out with him the other night and he says it with a straight face. 'There is going to be a revolution.' And I'm like, '****ing hell, mate, give us a shout when you're going down The Mall with your pitchforks and that, I'll come and serenade you with my loot before we eat the Queen.

“He says, 'Come on mate, back us' and I'm like, 'If you make me the Duke Of Manchester then I'm in'.”

Holding up noel gallagher as an fountain of knowledge? 😆 sort yourself oot, next you'll be posting johnny rottens ramblings! 😆

@ mogrim that is the type of solution I would support.

instead of some mouthy celeb with a penchant for long words, that need was filled by a young university lecturer who has actually formed a political party and campaigned for votes. And he's doing very well, his party has the two main parties running scared and forced them to up their game.

Probably all a bit too risky and too much of an effort for Brand, though - much easier to "ask questions" and "raise awareness".

Fair point.. so perhaps then, some of the irritation with Brand is that he's not applying himself in the best way to get maximum benefit.. he's not fulfilling his potential..?

f you genuinely want to know about stuff like this, and keep yourself informed, but don't want to all the preachy, messiah stuff that goes with Brand, its not difficult! Read Owen Jones or Naomi Klein

If you want a witty humorous take on it then read Mark Steel

Are any of them getting lots of coverage on U.K TV and pissing off the establishment? Not at the level Brand is.

Also he talks about and interviews the people you mention, but then you wouldn't know that because you probably only watch him ranting on Newsnight and read shite in the papers.

Do a search for Russell Brand and Naomi Klein or Owen Jones. It's not difficult is it! 😆

And that's exactly where brand is going wrong

If he thinks he can mobilise large numbers of people who are turned off from mainstream politics to be more politically aware, then he needs to form a political party and take like minded people with him to challenge the establishment

Even Someone who spends most of his time talking inconsistent and contradictory bollocks can still change the political agenda and make the mainstream parties quake in their boots

Nigel has proved that 😉

mogrim - Member

Not sure - there's an opportunity cost to Brand being the spokesman for an alternative.

Seriously? Brand enters a vacuum and you blame him for the vacuum? His existence doesn't stop anyone else from doing things differently. On past form, he'd be quick to get behind anyone who did.

ninfan - Member
And that's exactly where brand is going wrong

If he thinks he can mobilise large numbers of people who are turned off from mainstream politics to be more politically aware

Personally, i actually agree his trews and the style he does then in can be annoying, but his general message is sound..

Seriously? Brand enters a vacuum and you blame him for the vacuum? His existence doesn't stop anyone else from doing things differently. On past form, he'd be quick to get behind anyone who did.

I'm not blaming him for the vacuum, or even for filling it. I'm just saying that his filling the vacuum [b]does[/b] make it harder for other voices to be heard.

This is where you are missing his point. Which isn't to mobilise behind him, his message is simple, identify your issues and get up off your arse and do something about it, no-one else will.

RB: identify your issues and do something about it, no-one else will!

The masses: what shall we do?

RB: I dunno, somefink!

The masses: like what?

RB: I dunno, that's not for me, it's for you, it doesn't matter what you do, as long as you do somefink!

The masses: any suggestions?

RB: Look, you're not getting me man, it's not for me to tell you what to do, you need to fink of that yourself like, as long as you do somefink because somefink is better than nuffink, innit! Now stop hassling me with questions, you're gettin me down and making my brain go all wobbly, Revolution innit, down wiv the establishment.

The masses: 😕

mogrim - Member

I'm not blaming him for the vacuum, or even for filling it. I'm just saying that his filling the vacuum does make it harder for other voices to be heard.

What makes it hard for other voices to be heard, is that we have a media and establishment committed to not letting them be heard. We have the perfect case in point here!

What makes it hard for other voices to be heard, is that we have a media and establishment committed to not letting them be heard. We have the perfect case in point here!

Spot on... Green Party a prime example

There is hardly a vacuum in the debate on housing, its actually quite a crowded space. London councils (Labour lead) are falling over themselves to sell of property to foreign investors.

Any a piece today on the gaffs Brand has made, I didn't remember he'd turned up to work at MTV 2 days after the 9/11 attacks dressed as Osama Bin Laden.

[url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11273422/From-hero-to-zero-Russell-Brands-biggest-gaffes.html ]link[/url]

He's on Question Time next week with Nigel Farage.

Send in the clowns.....

Jambalaya - did you receive my email?

"Amanda was a strong, beautiful woman. After a string of infidelities on my part, she finally had the good sense to leave me. I just came home one night, and all her clothes were gone. I thought this a flabbergasting affront, and threw myself with ever more self-destructive intensity into my work, womanising and, above all, a renewed and increasingly all-encompassing relationship with heroin.

I thought, "Well, at least now she's left me, I can just take loads of drugs again".

Not content with damaging myself physically, I set about dismantling my career. Gritty was the main dealer I used to get heroin off when I worked at MTV. I liked the fact that destiny had allotted him the name "Gritty". Just as Ned Ludd, leader of the Luddites who opposed the Industrial Revolution, would have struggled to make such an eloquent case against the spinning jenny had his name been Fabrizio Zodiac, so the name Gritty seemed well adapted to the needs of his profession.

He seemed a nice sort of man, though. He had quite a caring side to him, for a drug dealer. I remember one occasion when I was buying drugs off him near Camden Bridge. Having just sold me my two £10 bags of smack and two £10 rocks of crack, he gave me a sincere look and said, "Be careful with that, won't you Russell?" I was thinking, "What do you mean, 'Be careful with that'? They're drugs. What does he think I'm gonna do with them? 'Oh no, I seem to have taken them. Why didn't I heed Gritty's prophecy?' "

One day Gritty asked me once if he could bring Edwin, his eight-year-old son, into MTV to have a bit of a look round. I said, "Sure, why not?" What could possibly go wrong? We could call it Bring Your Drug Dealer to Work Day.

The date that the inaugural BYDDTWD happened to fall upon was September 12 2001, the day after the destruction of the World Trade Centre. With typical restraint, I decided to go into work dressed in a camouflage flak jacket, a false beard and a tea towel on my head, held in place by a shoelace.

I had been aware of Osama bin Laden for about a year. He wasn't someone people of my age group generally knew about, but he'd been involved with some other bombings and he was top of the FBI's most wanted list, and I was fascinated by that sort of stuff. That day, I was going to present this programme called Select, where kids phoned in and chose videos for us to play, and pop stars would come on to flog their records. Our guest was to be Kylie Minogue. Me, Gritty and Edwin went into the toilet and the two older members of our party smoked some crack. Edwin didn't have any. He was just a little boy, and seemed quite upbeat about life anyway. Children don't need drugs, because they have sweets.

We blearily swaggered out of the disabled toilet. On the other side of the foyer - with its round console, banks of TVs, trendy turnstile and endless parade of beautiful young people of both genders and every sexual persuasion trundling in and out - I saw Kylie Minogue, all famous and everything.

Somewhere in my mind, the artist within me - the situationist within me - thought: "I can create a moment here. When am I ever going to get an opportunity like this again?" Before I knew it, I'd walked across that foyer, made a kind of "Woo-ooh" noise - in a mum-across-a-neighbour's-fence sort of way - and said: "Kylie, meet Gritty." Then I just stood back to watch it unfold.

What were these two going to talk about? It's the day after 9/11, and Kylie and Gritty are having a sort of awkward chat, with Gritty trying to be polite and Kylie asking, "What do you do?" sort of like the Queen would. And there's me standing beside them, still dressed as Osama bin Laden.

I thought: "It don't get any better than this."

And it didn't, cos they sacked me about two days later."

He's on Question Time next week with Nigel Farage.

Send in the clowns.....

And the rest of the panel? Certainly could be entertaining. Informative? Not so sure 🙂

@yunki, I appreciate that we need better spending on NHS but legal aid as a priority ? He did say correctly at the end of the piece we need more social housing but a lack of it isn't due to the banking system, its due to successive governments both Labour and Conservative continuing to sell social housing instead of building more. IMO the government should identify town center sites (it owns many as did the post office which shouldn't have been sold its property/land portfolio should have been sued for social housing development) and the develop these into social housing, the government could provide loan guarantees (meaning cheap cost of borrowing) for the construction and subsequent management of the properties. These properties would be let on the basis of need / key workers and means tested - no council house for life security of tenure.

@yunki - yes, I actually replied just after posting.

One of the greatest political thinkers of our generation

I'm sorry, I'll do anything. I wore a condom. Put the phone down! Oh what's going to happen. Look I've got a mental illness. Do you think that made it better?
...
Andrew Sachs, Andrew Sachs. I said something I didn't have oughta, like I had sex with your granddaughter. But it was consensual and she wasn't menstrual, it was consensual lovely sex.
...
We can keep ringing, and even after the show's finished, kick his front door in and scream apologies into his bottom.

Great post Northwind..
I think it's stuff like that which goes some way to explaining why he's got such a dedicated fanbase..
That's the sort of thing that gen X can identify with.. He's lived a normal lifestyle (not a joke btw) and that gives him an integrity.. He's trustworthy..

EDIT: Ace - thanks Jambalaya