Steerpike Steerpike

Old habits die hard for Russell Brand

Oh dear. Although Russell Brand once said he had never voted, and never would, as a result of his ‘absolute indifference and weariness and exhaustion from the lies, treachery and deceit of the political class’, he went on to change his tune when her urged his fans to vote Labour in the 2015 election – and later endorsed Jeremy Corbyn.

So, Mr S was curious to discover that Brand has now returned to his old tricks. The comedian-turned-left-wing revolutionary tells the Sunday Times that he didn’t vote in the EU referendum as he was on ‘holiday’:

‘How did he vote in the referendum? He mumbles: “I was on holiday.”

He didn’t vote over Brexit? “No,” he says sheepishly.

I thought he’d started voting after being criticised for telling people not to bother voting (during a Newsnight interview with Jeremy Paxman in 2013) then doing a volte-face on the eve of the general election in 2015 by endorsing Ed Miliband. And later Jeremy Corbyn.

“I’ve not started voting,” he says. “In this moment I’m drinking water.”’

No doubt Brand took the well-timed holiday solely so he didn’t have to cope with the ‘lies, treachery and deceit of the political class’ rather than because he just couldn’t be bothered…

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