The comedian Russell Brand’s recent public calls for revolution and a change in Britain’s broken political system have received a significant amount of interest from both sides of the argument.
An avid follower of Brand will know that his talk of revolt is nothing new. His pre-Sachsgate Radio 2 show was filled with his radical left-wing political ideas. He often spoke of being the leader of this revolution much to the disbelief of his co-host and guests. Again, his ideas are nothing new, they are just being voiced to a different demographic. A demographic who is concerned with the potential consequences of Brands calls to not vote.
In an interview with hard line questioner Jeremy Paxman, Paxman asked how Brand could legitimise his claims if he himself had never voted. Brand retorted that he did not choose to not vote out of apathy but out of “indifference and weariness and exhaustion from the lies treachery of the political class that has been going on for generations”. He believes that voting for a government that does not represent or care about the “under class” would be giving approval to such a government. Brand when asked was also unable to provide a working alternative to the system already in place – but perhaps that is the job for somebody else. However, what sparked most controversy was that Paxman showed understanding for Brand’s quest for a better system of government, for which Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg criticised Paxman for ‘sneering’ at politics, suggesting Brand’s views aren’t entirely unfounded or ludicrous.
Russell Brand – new hero of left-wing politics?
The comedic actor Robert Webbe responded to Brand’s talk of revolution with an open letter. He states that “choosing to vote is the most British kind of revolution there is” as turnout is already considerably low in Britain. Webbe’s emphasis was very much on his concern for the young who are already one of the most politically disengaged groups in our society. Brand’s main audience is the young and Webbe suggests that they need no further encouragement not to vote. He argues that Brand is giving politicians the go-ahead to “neglect the concerns of young people because they’ve been relieved of the responsibility of courting their vote”.
However, Brand has articulated ideas that are shared by members of the general public. Our political system often does pander to the elite and there is a definite sense of political disengagement. It is becoming increasingly arguable that the three main parties don’t offer anything distinct from one another but continue to re-brand the same old policies. But not voting is not the way to resolve political disillusionment. Our history shows us the long and dangerous fight that had been endured to secure our right to vote. By not voting you diminish your ability to pass legitimate judgment on government action and make yourself vulnerable to tyrannical behaviour.
Perhaps Brand is not the best spokesperson for the need for change in Britain’s political process, but he has highlighted some of the key points as to why Britain’s political system needs to be fixed. Elitism is still rife in our system; our politicians are still in the pockets of the rich and influential. Reform is needed but not voting is unfortunately not the way to a better government for Britain.
Edited by Faiza Peeran