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Russell Brand on General Election: 'I've only got one vote'

The comedian-turned-activist launched into a monologue when asked which party he was going to support

Thursday 23 April 2015 15:07 BST

Russell Brand will not be voting in the General Election, despite having called the Green Party "fantastic".

The comic-turned-revolutionary was speaking at the Rio Cinema, in east London.

When asked my an audience member whether he supported the "strong, progressive" Green Party, Brand replied: "No".

The talk was in part to publicise his Brand's film the The Emperor's New Clothes, which has been praised for being a lucid look alternative to mainstream politics.

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

Show all 19

1/19Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On puberty:

“By puberty I learned that nothing worth having could be easily attained and to succeed one must be single minded."

PA

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On changing the world:

“I want to change the world, and do something valuable and beautiful. I want people to remember me before I'm dead, and then more afterwards.”

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On being strong:

"Strength does not have to be belligerent and loud."

Getty

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On grammar:

“I couldn't possibly have sex with someone with such a slender grasp on grammar!”

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On manners in England:

"In England we have such good manners that if someone says something impolite, the police will get involved."

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On junkie v vegetarian:

“Even as a junkie I stayed true [to vegetarianism] - 'I shall have heroin, but I shan't have a hamburger.' What a sexy little paradox.”

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On the future:

“People don't realize that the future is just now, but later.”

Rex Features

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On sex addiction:

“Boggle with sex addicts is up there with go-kart racing with junkies.”

Reuters

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On life:

“My life is just a series of embarrassing incidents strung together by telling people about those embarrassing incidents.”

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On happiness:

"If you want to be happy stop being so self-obsessed and start considering other people."

Getty Images

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On drug addiction:

“The mentality and behavior of drug addicts and alcoholics is wholly irrational until you understand that they are completely powerless over their addiction and unless they have structured help, they have no hope.”

Getty Images

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On sitcoms:

"I do have a regard for the musicality of language that came from BBC sitcoms like Fawlty Towers."

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On life motivation:

"That's what keeps me alive, perversion and star quality.”

Getty

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On love:

“When you fall in love you recognise you're not the most important person in the world, and your focus becomes another person.”

Getty Images

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On threesomes:

“I like threesomes with two women, not because I'm a cynical sexual predator. Oh no! But because I'm a romantic. I'm looking for "The One." And I'll find her more quickly if I audition two at a time.”

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On Conservatives:

"Conservatism appeals to our selfishness and fear, our designer and self-interest."

PA

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On surfing:

“Surfing should be called "foam-choking" or "sea stabbing.”

Getty Images

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On Demi Moore:

"I've not made love to her yet, but it's a matter of time."

STEVE MORGAN/AFP/Getty Images

Russell Brand's Most Controversial Quips

On success:

"When I was growing up, I thought I'd be a lot happier if I was famous and successful and if I had money."

Getty Images

In a video uploaded by Total Politics, Brand said: "I believe in absolute truth. I believe in reality. That's what I believe in, absolute truth. Do you know what I believe?... I believe that we each have our own individual connection with a higher thing.

"What people are neglecting is I'm not a political man, I'm a spiritual man. For me, the administration, the things that occur, it's cool, it's secondary.

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"Follow your calling. I will not stand in your way, I will not decry or denounce you. But I believe we are worth something valuable. I believe that human beings haven't finished evolving - that we can create something wonderful. And it will not come out of that decaying, mock-Victorian edifice and that we, among us, are on the precipice of creating something glorious. Don't set your horizon so low. Don't respond to fear, respond to optimism.

"A lot of people seem to be saying to me: 'I want you to do this.' I've only got one vote, same as everyone else.'"

When an audience member asked if he was going to use it, Brand said: "No, I ain't registered."

So there you go.

Brand has spoken out repeatedly against the current democratic process, but did say he'd have made an exception to support Greek left-wing coalition Syriza at the polls.

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