Russell Brand wins well-deserved Foot in Mouth award

[claig]

"Yesterday the comedian and self-styled revolutionary was honoured with an award – for speaking gobbledygook.

He won the annual Foot in Mouth prize from the Plain English campiagn, joining the likes of John Prescott and George W Bush."
...

"The group’s website said that Brand’s ‘seemingly endless stream of gibberish, both written and verbal’ had clinched the award."
...
"Organisers said Brand – who has carved a career out of using many, often inflammatory, words when one would do – was ‘out on his own’ in the competition."

Surely that can't be right? He must have faced stiff competition from the Labour front bench

"The Plain English judges singled out this rant from The Guardian: ‘I felt very connected to activism – particularly activism that feels loaded with potential. Not the oppositional activism that seems like there’s a stasis around it – earnestly sincere, but a monolith.’

How they managed to single this rant out from the rest of the rants in the Guardian beats me. But they are professionals. To me it just seems like New Labour speak without the polar bears.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2858403/Brand-wins-award-gobbledygook.html

'So I should vote for a party based on propaganda, media image and bollocks'

Where on earth did I say that you should vote Labour?

But pandering to popularist politics is bollocks though, so the people's army thing is a crap idea. We'd all like no taxes for example.

Pandering to the popularist vote is one of the reasons we are in this mess to be perfectly honest as parties have made policy decisions for a term to win election and to kick problems further down the alley for the next parliament to clear up. Its an issue that all three parties are guilty of.

But when I look at UKIP and how they have ripped up their manifesto from 2010 and are frankly making it up as they go along, I'm not really seeing anything different there either. Its all about winning election. Not dealing with problems in an effective manner.

Frankly, I don't think the People's Army is necessarily a good thing if we are only going to eat sweets all the time and get fat in the process. We sometimes need to eat greens to stay healthy even if we don't particularly like them. We need someone to be able to make us properly understand what's in our best interest. I want to be sold difficult and unpopular policies rather than the more palatable ones. And yes, I do think the electorate are like children a lot of the time. Instead we are being marketed the cake as its easier and its not a good thing.

I would like to see a party actually be honest and suggest long term strategies even if that means saying 'we have to do this even though its not going to be very popular'. I certainly do not want publicity stunts to promote their personalities. I fail to see the political merit of going on a reality tv show with a couple off google box, unless its purely about personality and ego.

TBH, last night's newsnight really showed up Farage and Brand. Neither said much worth noting. The one on the panel who got it and wasn't an egotistical manic and didn't attack others personally or attack their parties but really got to the heart of issues was Camilla Cavendish from The Times. It really showed up the difference in getting to the heart of issues without ad Hominem attacks on individuals or groups - which both Farage and Brand were most guilty of.

'the people's army thing is a crap idea'

It is a brilliant idea because it is a laugh, it is fun and fun engages ordinary voters who are not interested in every spin-laden Oxbridge teenager written speech that Cameron and Miliband read out off autocues.

It is laughter that will bring the elite down and the People's Army is a great laugh and the UKIP Trumpton twitter account is a great laugh too, but it will only help the People's Army even more because the People's Army are a laugh and are fun and none of the other po-faced politicians are except for Boris Johnson.

'Pandering to the popularist vote is one of the reasons we are in this mess to be perfectly honest'

No because there is real populism based on principle such as UKIP's giving power back to the people via PR, local referenda and direct democracy and there is pandering populism based on lack of principle and contempt such as pandering to tougher immigration controls and using the word "swamped" as one senior Tory did in order to cling on to certain seats.

Real populism involves giving a voice to the people and taking power out of the hands of the Establishment selected, accelerated and promoted PPE clique.

'But when I look at UKIP and how they have ripped up their manifesto from 2010 and are frankly making it up as they go along'

There is some truth to that, but the People's Army don't care because we know that UKIP are on our side. They don't treat us as "the left behind", they don't think we are "vile and unBritish". I think UKIP have been stunned by the support that they got in the 2012 local elections when millions of Tory voters switched to UKIP and stunned all the polling companies and all the puppets in political parties. UKIP never needed manifestos on lots of policies because they never expected to gain power, their core policies were mainly to leave the EU and to be against the climate change crowd. Farage is stunned by his and UKIP's success. He is almost hero-worshipped in parts of Essex and Kent and Lincolnshire and lots of other places too and he can't quite believe it. He is tearing up Labour's lawns in Wales for Heaven's sake, their only remaining heartland, but not for long. The reason is that the people are desperate for change, we can't take these spinners any more. We see Farage as our common sense hope to put things right. That is why new policies are being drafted and UKIP is becoming more professional because there are now millions of people in the People's Army and UKIP is our hope, we are relying on them and they have a duty to serve us. They have a responsibility to help the people and we hope they will. UKIP is a revolution and no one saw it coming, not even Farage, and that is why UKIP are coming up with new policies at the rate of knots. But all their policies are based on populism and serving us the people.

'We need someone to be able to make us properly understand what's in our best interest. I want to be sold difficult and unpopular policies rather than the more palatable ones. And yes, I do think the electorate are like children a lot of the time. Instead we are being marketed the cake as its easier and its not a good thing. '

This is where we disagree. I am People's Army. We believe we are being stitched up and sold out to fat cats who want to privatise our NHS, tax us more, close our pubs, increase our alcohol prices, switch off our street lights, prevent our progress, increase our fuel bills and sell our sovereignty and democracy out to the EU. We believe they are disenfranchising us and they even tried to remove our centuries' old liberties, hard fought for and won by past generations of this fantastic country, when politically correct New Labour wanted to introduce DNA databases and biometric ID cards. They told us the skies would fall in if we didn't agree, but of course they didn't. UKIP will break up the cosy Oxbridge PPE two-party system and bring in PR. Then the Greens will stand a chance and everyone's vote will count. There will be lots of new parties and real socialist parties not just the Establishment PPE Labour party. Then the people will have lots of different parties and policies to choose from. No party will be able to take the people and the country to war on a lie ever again.

"I would like to see a party actually be honest and suggest long term strategies even if that means saying 'we have to do this even though its not going to be very popular'. I certainly do not want publicity stunts to promote their personalities. I fail to see the political merit of going on a reality tv show with a couple off google box, unless its purely about personality and ego."

But with PR, parties will do that. UKIP wants the people to democratically determine their own future and make their own parliament sovereign rather than having laws made for us in Brussels by politicians we have never heard of and who are never even interviewed by our Establishment BBC.

Farage wants to change the country, he wants to win. The entire Establishment and their promoted luvvies and comedians are out to get him. That is why he has to go on Gogglebox and run the risk of looking stupid and being laughed at by the Establishment promoted comedians and media hacks because he needs the publicity so that ordinary voters who don't watch PMQs and Question Time get a chance to see him. Farage has to accept invitations to go on Question Time and be insulted and shouted at by Establishment promoted comedians because he needs the publicity. This is serious, he is changing the country, he is tearing up their lawns and they don't like it.

"TBH, last night's newsnight really showed up Farage and Brand."

That was the Establishment's objective. They want to mock and insult Farage with their promoted ranting bully Brand. Farage had to sit and take it and listen to the abuse. He needs the publicity, he has no choice, he knows their game, but what can he do? But he knows that we are tearing up their lawns, the People's Army has got them on the run and it will all be worth it in the end, when the people have won.

"we'd all like no taxes for example"

Really?? This is what worries me about the voting population - they wail about the state of education and the NHS and then scream and shout about how unfair taxation is!

I'm more than happy to pay tax because my children access a brilliant education for free and when they're sick they're cared for by a brilliant health system (albeit under immense strain right now).

Taxes are a symptom of a fair and equitable society - look at the continent.

If UKIP is going to appeal to voters from all the other parties there is going to have to be less shouting and more of a nod to the need for contemplation. Pandering is, as RedToothBrush says, fine for short term election winning purposes, but after that what happens? People already elected a pig in a poke with the coalition and I do not think people want a mystery government or a mystery group in parliament again.

Paleo, you are right we need taxes to pay for services for the people.

But some of the politicians are wasting out tax money on foreign aid to countries that have more billionaires than we do. Our tax money is going to all sorts of charidees often staffed by ex-Labour luvvies on quango style salaries. That is our money that they are spending. We want taxes spent on essentials like education and hospitalss, not on paying to heat their stables, provide the House of Lords with better quality champagne and giving them the right to flip their homes while pensioners are dying of dehyfdration in our hospitals which are understaffed and underpaid and where midwives have not had a decent payrise while MPs live teh life of Riley and some allegedly call public servants "plebs". Is it any wonder some members of the People's Army believe they are taking the piss and laughing at us behind our backs? Not me, I hasten to add, I know they are fine upstanding PPEs who would never dream of calling people "swivel-eyed", "fruitcakes" and "loonies".

"This is perhaps Nigel Farage’s most potent line of attack: that the liberal, metropolitan elites who hate ordinary Brits and employ foreign nannies have stitched up the political system, rigged the economy in their favour, ripped off their parliamentary expenses and are laughing at us all behind our backs.

www.conservativehome.com/highlights/2014/12/the-five-tribes-of-ukip.html

"David Cameron’s flagship Big Society Network is being investigated by the Charity Commission over allegations that it misused government funding and made inappropriate payments to its directors – including a Tory donor."

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/exclusive-camerons-big-society-in-tatters-as-charity-watchdog-launches-investigation-into-claims-of-government-funding-misuse-9629848.html

mathanxiety, I think you are in the States, so you may have missed Farage being shouted at by the Establishment's Useful Idiot, the Establishment promoted comedian, Brand. Farage was the picture of contemplation and solicitude while taking brickbats from all sides.

I have watched the whole thing and do not share your appreciation of Farage's performance. Like RedToothBrush, I thought Camilla Cavendish came off well on a personal level but this may well be just a reflection of my personal taste. In general, I don't think media political circuses serve any really useful purpose however, except that to a large extent they allow the letting off of steam. I know you may see this as a plus. However, I am wary of the concept of revolution.

It was an anti-climax, even Brand says so on Facenook. It was rubbish, but the Establishment achieved their aim of insulting Farage and his millions of voters. That is what mattered to them and they got their wish.

Farage does not let off steam, he wants to get his points across but the Establishment make sure he can't by having hecklers and clowns shout him down.

But all their plans and schemes will be in vain, they will fail in their every aim.

The great Scottish poet, Robert Burns, said it much better than I could. But, a warning, it is a bit deep and profound. I've read it through a hundred times and I must admit I'm struggling to grasp the full meaning of it, but by God I agree with every word

"But Mousie, thou art no thy-lane
In proving foresight may be vain
The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men
Gang aft agley
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain
For promis'd joy!"

genius.com/Robert-burns-to-a-mouse-annotated/

Ah, now I understand, Farage is satire - it all makes sense now.

The populist vote will get us (and has got us already) in deep doodoo - at least I know I can leave the country should UKIP ever come to any kind of meaningful power.

Oh wait, they'd deport me anyway

Without a programme or manifesto or plan, expressing his points is the letting off of steam.

'Without a programme or manifesto or plan'

It's coming. Farage was on TV and he said he is not prepared to reveal his hand because the gist of what he said was, those rotters in the moribund parties with no ideas will most likely pilfer any ideas they can like a venue or a kettle of scavenging vultures. And I thought that made perfect sense, and was a point well made.

We know their main policies though - scrap the Climate Change Act, leave the EU, scrap the bedroom tax, scrap HS2, scrap green taxes and green subsidies, slash foreign aid by about £9 billion, slash quangos and remove luvvies from their roles etc etc

It's all in the People's Army document called Policies for People

www.ukip.org/policies_for_people

He is saving the best till last because he doesn't want those no-marks in the Tory party to copy UKIP policies. And according to some reports, that has made them hopping mad.

He is saving the best till last because he doesn't want those no-marks in the Tory party to copy UKIP policies

Excuse me if I'm wrong here, but if we are all about doing the best for this country, and working for the 'People's Army' then ALL politicians shouldn't be precious about other parties 'stealing their plans' because that plan should come above personal ambitions.

In short, the policy should be for the people not the party. Unless of course, all this guff about the people is a lot of guff just to get voted in.

rolls eyes

RedToothBrush, in an ideal world, yes. But it is not an ideal world - there are such things as the Tory Party. There is no level to which they will not stoop, Farage is well aware of that. He has witnessed it at first-hand.

"If you vote UKIP, your house prices will fall"

They are capable of every heinous trick in the book and now that they are desperate as the People's Army tears up their lawns all over their safe-seats, they are fully prepared to let rip with every dastardly trick that their Oxbridge teenage whizzkids can come up with. For Heaven's sake they have already called the good people in the People's Army "fruitcakes", that shows how low they are prepared to go.

Farage knows that the people depend on him, he is saving the country, the People's Army are right behind him, the stakes could not be higher, he can't show those Tory cheats his hand or they will win the game.

Don't forget, it is Farage against the rest - Farage against the BBC, the Establishment, the Establishment parties, the EU and Russell Brand.

It looks like he has no chance, but he shocked them to the core and made them spill their champagne with the biggest landslide in British postwar parliamentary history in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex - a victory that has made history. There's more to come, the People's Army has got them on the run.

head in hands

FFS

Are UKIP handing out tin foil outside the polling stations?

No they are handing out copies of the Tory Manifesto - they call it snake oil.

Claig ... u wanna talk manifestos, are you playing with a full deck????

“At-a-glance: UKIP (2010) election manifesto”
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8617187.stm
• Reduce public sector to 1997 size, diverting two million jobs to manufacturing and industry
• Freeze public sector pensions, bringing them "back into line with typical private sector pension provision".
• Raise tax-free threshold on income to £11,500, followed by a flat rate of 31% to replace current income tax and employees' National Insurance (NI)

“UKIP leader Nigel Farage has disowned the party's entire (2010) general election manifesto - which he helped launch - branding it "drivel”.
news.sky.com/story/1200525/nigel-farage-disowns-ukip-manifesto-as-drivel

“UKIP spokesman Michael Heaver confirmed that the party’s 2010 election manifesto had been removed. While the party now opposes the planned high-speed north-south rail line, the 2010 document advocated building three new routes. “We’re in the process of updating everything,” Heaver said by telephone. “We’re going through a policy review.”
www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-15/u-k-parties-prepare-for-2015-by-erasing-web-histories.html

“Both these are outdone by the U.K. Independence Party, which has no record of any speeches made before March this year. The earliest news item is leader Nigel Farage’s New Year 2013 message.

Farage obviously wanted to delete his 'rivers of blood' speeches.

Farage seems absolutely desperate not to tell us what will be in the UKIP manifesto. He repeatedly ducks out of questions on national policies. He is blatantly working on the basis that if he leaves it as late as possible he hopes to be able to conceal all the inevitable gaping holes and massive flaws which are already evident in what he has produced.

The plain fact is that if he ever gets anywhere near government, he will have no choice but to get to grips with the economic and practical realities behind, for instance, foreign aid; and he will then have to make repeated choices between reneging on manifesto promises or going down in history as the most incompetent politician ever.

"going down in history as the most incompetent politician ever."

Blimey, it's going to take some doing to steal Gordon Brown's crown.

But if Farage were ever to get into power and try to operate those policies, he would have no difficulty whatsoever in winning that title.

Have I time-travelled back to 1930's Germany? Honestly claig you seem just as brain-washed charmed by UKIP's false promise and non-policies as German citizens did with Hitler. That worked out so well for Germany, didn't it.

SagaNorensSnowflakeTrousers, I am not brainwashed. There will be all sorts of plots going on in UKIP. The Establishment will be trying to finish UKIP off. We don't know what will happen and who in UKIP is for real in helping the people. All we can do is hope. Millions of us are voting UKIP because we have had enough of our political class and metropolitan elite who are not "on our side". We think and hope that UKIP are "on our side". A lot of what they say indicates that they are.

You and many others prefer the Establishment parties and think they are better. Millions of us have lost hope and given up with that lot, we don't believe they are "on our side".

The policies they have told us about are fine by many of us e.g. scrapping the Climate Change Act and saving £18 billion, scrapping bedroom tax, slashing foreign aid by about £9 billion. But many of us don't examine every policy in fine detail because we are voting for people who are "on our side" above whether they have every policy right at this stage. They can finetune some policies after they get in. We know that what Establishment parties say are their policies may never get implemented anyway just as the LibDems reneged on theior pledge not to increase tuition fees.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30467897

As long as you have a good excuse, such as being on medication or being angry, its ok to be an offensive twat.

The Gospel According to UKIP.

Its also worth noting the People's Army anti-establishment rhetoric from the mouth of UKIP candidate Kerry Smith:

He jokes about "shooting peasants" from the Essex town of Chigwell and supporting "a peasant's hunt through Chigwell village".