General Election 2015: Miliband's interview with Russell Brand may not win him votes

While Miliband deserves credit for taking the risk it is hard to see it having any great impact on the comedian’s army of devotees

Russell Brand interviews Labour leader Ed Miliband for his internet programme ‘The Trews’

The Labour leader’s unusual election grilling was not the disaster the critics feared but nor was it a convincing triumph – for either man.

For a start Russell Brand only allowed Ed Miliband to speak for seven minutes and forty seconds of the 16 minute interview. The rest of the time it was the comedian showing again just how fond he is of his own voice and views of the world around him. It didn’t help that Miliband looked dog tired and understandably wary at the bizarre line of questioning.

His approach to the interview – no doubt endlessly debated beforehand – was to try and appeal to Brand’s audience without seeming to fawn to the man himself.

To an extent he succeeded. He sounded principled and sincere and the visual statement of Miliband in a suit and tie explaining why politics mattered to the hyperbolic Brand was actually quite effective.

But while Miliband deserves credit for taking the risk it is hard to see it having any great impact on the comedian’s army of devotees.

Many of them like Brand because he offers simple (but simplistic) explanations to complicated problems. Miliband did not respond by making simplistic promises. It was the right thing to do – but not necessarily vote winning.