Mr Miliband, Russell Brand and a sick joke

IN what must be a new low for British politics, the leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition arrives at dead of night in a chauffeur-driven BMW to be interviewed by that seriously disturbed narcissist, exhibitionist, ex- drug addict and sick abuser of Andrew Sachs, Russell Brand.

Is there anything Ed Miliband won’t resort to if he thinks there may be a few votes in it?

Let’s not forget, either, the countless selfies or his interview with the absurd reality TV star Joey Essex, famous chiefly for being very stupid.

But so much for the bad-taste comedy. Now for the tragedy, as outlined yesterday by the country’s most respected independent number- crunchers, the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Yes, the IFS strongly criticises other parties for their failure to spell out how they hope to balance the nation’s books. But it reserves its most withering verdict for Mr Miliband’s flagship policies.

On the mansion tax, it finds the top level would have to be set at a wholly unrealistic £16,000 a year on homes worth more than £3million if it is to raise the £1.2billion Labour seeks.

Meanwhile, the party’s plan to restore the 50p rate would raise ‘very little’, its proposed 1 per cent cap on child benefit increases would save ‘literally nothing’ – and its promised stamp duty holiday would merely push up house prices, offering no help to first-time buyers.

As for Mr Miliband’s proposed tax cut, via a new 10p starter rate, this would save most taxpayers 50p a week, while lacking ‘any economic justification’. On top of everything, 1.5million middle earners will be dragged into the 40p tax band.

And all this is the ‘rescue plan’ of the class warrior who hopes to be prime minister by the end of next week? With the terrifying size of Britain’s debts, we might just as well entrust our futures to his fellow comedian, Mr Brand.