Andy Burnham once sent a two-word message of support to Russell Brand, a gesture he now deeply regrets following the comedian's rape conviction.
The message, "Keep going," was sent more than a decade before Brand was convicted of raping one of his fans and sexually assaulting three women. It illustrates how Brand was once considered a darling of the Left.
Brand's rise as a Left-wing figure
Brand was known for sharing his opinions widely. He launched a YouTube series called The Trews, meaning true news, and wrote a book titled Revolution. He was also active on X, then known as Twitter, where his username was @rustyrockets.
On December 2, 2014, Brand took part in a protest about high rents in London. He clashed with a Channel 4 journalist who suggested Brand was "part of the problem" because rents had been driven up by "super-rich" residents in the capital.
The tweet and its context
The next day, Mr Burnham tweeted: "Depressing to see media mission to discredit someone who stops playing their game and uses celebrity to help others. Keep going @rustyrockets."
This was just one example of the Left embracing Brand. Ed Miliband, the Labour leader at the time, was interviewed by Brand for an episode of The Trews, eight days before the May 2015 General Election.
Endorsements now regretted
Owen Jones, a Left-wing journalist, wrote a column for The Guardian insisting: "Russell Brand matters." He said: "However much bluff and bluster the Tories now pull – maybe more playground abuse from David Cameron, who called Brand a 'joke' – his endorsement of Labour in England and Wales will worry them."
None of these people would have had anything to do with Brand, or said a good word about him, if they knew what they know today. They will all deeply regret ever appearing to endorse him.
