Lucy Powell regrets helping set up Russell Brand interview

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 10 Nov, 10:37 · Archive

Lucy Powell, now Education Secretary, said she regrets helping to arrange an interview between Ed Miliband and Russell Brand before the 2015 election. The pair met at Brand's home in 2015 as Miliband, then Labour leader, desperately sought Brand's endorsement to win over young voters. Powell was a senior figure in Labour's election campaign at the time.

Powell made the comments in broadcast interviews on Tuesday morning, the day after Brand was jailed for 10-and-a-half years after being found guilty of one rape and three sexual assaults. She told Sky News: 'It was a long time ago, obviously. And had I or Ed Miliband or anybody at the time had any sense at all that this was someone who was a sexual predator, who was involved in these sorts of crimes or any allegations that were known at the time, then, of course, that interview I'm sure would not have happened.'

Powell said Brand had approached the Labour Party campaign team to arrange the interview. However, HuffPost UK reports that viewers questioned her defence: social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram were already in use by 2015, and Powell herself joined Twitter in 2009. The Daily Mail notes that by the time the interview took place, Brand had already lost his BBC Radio 2 show and been fired from XFM.

How it is being reported

• Education secretary ‘really regrets’ Ed Miliband’s 2015 Russell Brand interviewTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page The education secretary has admitted she ‘really regrets’ Ed Miliband ’s interview with Russell Brand in 2015 – but said it was a ‘different era’ when…Metro · 10 Nov, 11:59
• Deputy Labour leader defends Ed Miliband appearing on Russell Brand's YouTube showEd Miliband previously expressed regret for appearing on Russell Brand’s YouTube channelThe Independent · 10 Nov, 11:39
• Lucy Powell Baffles Viewers With Her Defence Of Ed Miliband's Meeting With Russell BrandLucy Powell left television viewers baffled over her defence of Ed Miliband’s infamous meeting with Russell Brand when he was Labour leader. The pair met at Brand’s home as Miliband desperately sought his endorsement in the run-up to the 2015 general election. Powell, who is now the education secretary, was a senior figure in Labour’s election campaign at the time. She challenged on the her role in arranging the controversial meeting in a round of awkward broadcast interviews on Tuesday morning. They came a day after Brand was jailed for 10-and-a-half years after being found guilty of one…HuffPost UK · 10 Nov, 10:21
• 'It was a long time ago': Squirming Lucy Powell says she 'regrets' helping to set up Russell Brand interview with Ed Miliband in Labour's 2015 election campaignEd Miliband, then Labour leader, appeared on Brand's online show The Trews as he desperately attempted to win over young voters.Daily Mail · 10 Nov, 08:37

In this story: Lucy Powell · Ed Miliband · Russell Brand · Labour Party · BBC Radio 2

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