If Russell Brand wonders why his latest campaign fails he will only have himself to blame

Yesterday an email popped in my inbox from one Russell Brand. It was your typical petition “Dear ” fodder peppered with flashes of Russell’s trademark verbosity. The mailshot, supported by Avaaz.org, called on me to add my name to a petition calling for a debate on drug legislation in Parliament.

Brand’s email pointed out the dangers of addiction, stated that “prohibition has completely failed” and pointed out that “it is the poor and minority users who are targeted, not the rich and powerful.” All points that would earn a hearing within the Labour Party and yet, the email left me feeling beyond angry, why?

Because, of course, this is the same Russell Brand who three and a half months ago told us he had never voted and there was no point. The same man who three and a half months ago told us “the current political system [is] nothing more than a bureaucratic means for furthering the augmentation and advantages of economic elites” was now telling us that a mere debate in Parliament “will help get the government to change the failing drug laws and save lives.” Errrr, what?

I know Russell Brand is clever enough to realise the contradictions inherent in his position, and I’ll leave the reasons behind his sudden realisation of the powers of Parliamentary legislation to others, but this one really stuck in my gut.

For most of my adult life I’ve been campaigning for the Labour Party. This has mainly involved knocking on doors in council estates and speaking to some of the most disadvantaged in our society – to the people who feel more let-down and disengaged from our politics than anyone else. They ask me why I bother, and I listen, and I explain what democracy means to me and how we all need to pull together if we’re going to get the politics we deserve.

As any fellow Labour doorstepper who has been outside the Westminster bubble and spent ten minutes talking to a voter can testify, this is a pretty typical scene and most of the time you’re wasting your breath. But sometimes you get through and you get them engaged.

So when Russell Brand came out with his original comments it felt like a kick in the guts.

I couldn’t help but think of all the good work he had washed away with his ill thought out platitudes, how easy it was for him to just say “no” and sit on the sofa while I get out there and try and fight for the things he claims to believe in.

I kept my mouth shut at the time, I didn’t agree with his views on democracy but he was right to start a debate about dissatisfaction with the political class. However, I do know this, if Russell finds his latest campaign fails he will only have himself to blame.