General Election: Who the hell am I going to vote for???

There can be no doubt that he loves the limelight...what is in question is the motive for the chat with Milliband and, as I have pointed out, it was the other way round, i.e. Milliband that approached Brand. If the phrase "publicity stunt" is to be used about this meeting up, then it is to be levied at Milliband - Cameron suggested as much.

 

I was reading about the labour rally held in Birmingham, where they happily agreed to and arranged for separate seating for men and women. Men sat on one side and the women on the other. Obviously the Labour party will glean votes wherever they can, but doesn't anyone else find this worrying? Women have fought hard and long for equality why are the Labour party going along with this? Apparently the same is happening in our colleges, men sit separately from women, personally I find this extremely worrying, please when you vote think about the bigger picture, where are we heading? what are we agreeing to?
The NHS will not continue as we know it, it just cannot sustain the pressure. Too few hospitals, too many people the maths is quite simple. Just my late night thoughts.

 

Sorry...it's late - it was fat controller that used that phrase. I feel a bit bombarded and am not used to replying to so many posts here. Just trying to stick up for someone I see trying to tackle what's wrong with this country but I do agree with you that other politicians are in a much stronger position to do this. However, Russell DOES have the ears of young people so to dismiss him is to undermine the power he has to influence voting.

 

And this is VERY worrying. I think Russell Brand however well meaning is naive to the way that politics work.

 

If he only changed his mind "once" it's a pretty major one - he's gone from being and anarchist and telling people not to vote, to now backing the Labour party and urging people to vote. Hypocrite much?

This is what he said in October 2013:

"I have never voted. Like most people I am utterly disenchanted by politics. Like most people I regard politicians as frauds and liars and the current political system as nothing more than a bureaucratic means for furthering the augmentation and advantages of economic elites. Billy Connolly said: “Don’t vote, it encourages them,” and, “The desire to be a politician should bar you for life from ever being one.”

I don’t vote because to me it seems like a tacit act of compliance; I know, I know my grandparents fought in two world wars (and one World Cup) so that I’d have the right to vote. Well, they were conned. As far as I’m concerned there is nothing to vote for. I feel it is a far more potent political act to completely renounce the current paradigm than to participate in even the most trivial and tokenistic manner, by obediently X-ing a little box".

There are two polar opposite views on this thread and neither is ever going to change their minds, so I'm not going to get drawn into a debate, I've expended far too much effort just writing this post.

 

Aren't we all really? We think we understand but throughout the democratic history of this country (and others) deals have been done behind the scenes irrespective of the party.

 

Oh dear! So, he is encouraging people to vote a certain way because that is the party who will listen to what Russell has to say about what Russell wants heard?
So, are the Labour party going to ignore all their other voters and hinge only on Russell's mutterings?
The election is not about Russell Bland!!!
If he is *that* keen to have his own word, his own vision ... why not stand for election in his own right (he can certainly afford to fund it!) ... let me think Oh yes, that's why ... his ego couldn't take such a public loss of face if he didn't achieve enough votes

He doesn't need to rosebay ... you are doing a good enough job on that front for him

 

.......well said.

@rosebay I think you're underestimating the extent of RB's ego. He craves attention and where better to get it than in the midst of an election campaign. He knows the eyes of the media and the public are all focused in that direction. Even poor Kate was shunted into hospital and out again in the space of 12 hours and out of the way in case she distracted people from the main event. RB likes the limelight and his career depends on it.

 

My conclusion is I don't care who gets in as long as it's not the torys who will privatise the NHS and in so ruin it forever. They will hit welfare extremely hard and as they did in the current term hit the most venerable. There can be little or no question the disabled and sick will get the brunt of this because it's one area they steadfastly refuse to answer questions on.
All in the name of reducing debt which has risen from just over 910 Billion to the present 1600 Billion we now have.
How anyone can run with them beats me to be honest !!

 

I have fully acknowledged here Russell's craving of the limelight - that is obvious to all. It was Milliband that approached Russell for a chat not the other way around - this gets forgotten or overlooked in the urge to criticise him.

 

RB could have said no though and stuck to his original point of view as in merleworld's post #381 instead of his cynical change of mind. He'd have gone up in my estimation if he had!