COMEDIAN AND CELEBRITY social commentator Russell Brand went head-to-head with Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP, on BBC’s Question Time last night.
Among the subjects the men discussed was the controversial topic of immigration, with Farage saying the UK is overcrowded.
“In 1990 the population of this country was 55m – it is now between 62 and 63 million,” he told the live audience in Kent. “I think ordinary folk going around their lives are feeling it.”
“Controlling the type of people who come, and the numbers that come, is the answer,” he added.
An audience member appealed to Brand to stand for Parliament. “My problem is, I’ll stand for Parliament but I’m afraid I’ll become one of ‘em,” replied Brand (you can watch this clip above).
“Pound shop Enoch Powell”
The most quoted line of the night was when Brand compared Farage to Conservative Enoch Powell, famous for his anti-immigration “rivers of blood” speech.
“This man is not a cartoon character, he ain’t Del Boy, he ain’t Arthur Daly, he’s a pound shop Enoch Powell, and we got to watch him,” said Brand of Farage.
The UKIP leader’s reply was fairly muted: “That’s all well and good, you’ve got your own point of view.”
Farage was also questioned on his wealth:
Reaction to the debate in the UK press this morning was mixed:
And on Twitter, people were (as expected) similarly showing off a range of viewpoints:
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