On Thursday night I watched BBC Question Time (full episode here)

The show was billed as a Russell Brand versus Nigel Farage showdown. Well, I imagine that got the viewing rating numbers up in comparison to a normal show.

In actuality it was anti-climatic. The format of Question Time doesn’t allow for proper debate — I would much rather see Russell and ol’ Nigel face up in a format following the UK General Election debates.

Be properly moderated and allow the speakers to get into some sort of flow. QT has too many panelists and David Dimbleby seemed unusually leniant in allowing the audience to bicker and run the show. At one point I thought a punch-up was about to break out.

Russell seemed a bit constrained by the environment and didn’t have the space to get his points across as eloquently as he does with his daily Trews episode. I imagine the week he’s had on the front pages with the Sun screaming “HYPOCRITE” meant he was double-keen to do well.

There is a back-story to the part of the show I want to write about. A gentleman in the audience challenged (well… attacked) Russell for not campaigning from within the system and standing as a politician.

At this point watch the video below…

Turns out this guy is the brother of a UKIP MEP so his attack wasn’t from a unbiased point of view.

Russell’s answer was “my problem would be, mate, I’d stand for Parliament but I’d be scared that I’d become one of them”

I think Russell has indirectly answered the question about changing the system from within in a much more convincing way in his book and on his YouTube channel.

Let’s imagine that he stood as an MP — either for the Green party or as an independent. I think we’d have a new MP with a lot of social conscience, great hair and fantastic boots. But it wouldn’t make a bit of difference to the problems that we face in the UK today.

We already have credible, honest politicians. I’d put Tom Watson and Caroline Lucas forward as examples. But these people cannot change the system as it stands.

I’ve been reading “The Prostitute State” by Donnachadh McCarthy. From his experiences inside the Liberal Democrats he exposes the levels of influence that corporate lobbying has on modern British democracy. How transglobal corporations can buy policy changes for money. Policy changes that further the opportunities for that corporation to make more money and extend their influence.

Donnachadh also exposes the influence of the media on British politics and in particular Rupert Murdochs spindly claws grabbing the heart of the establishment.

Ironically Murdochs newspapers have been obsessed with Brand this month. If you can’t attack the idea, attack the person.

Or to quote Eleanor Roosevelt:

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.

The Sun will force you into a small mindset through mis-direction and personal attacks, distracting you from the real issues at hand.