Each week, Prospect asks experts, and our readers, to come up with answers to the questions dominating the headlines.
This week, the comedian Al Murray announced that he would be standing in the General Election, competing for the same Kent seat, Thanet South, as the Ukip leader Nigel Farage. With a manifesto including pledges to take the UK out of the solar system and revaluing the pound so that it's worth £1.10, Murray's stunt is attention-grabbing and very funny. But do comedians like Murray and the ever-more outspoken Russell Brand help or hinder democratic engagement?
This week, the comedian Al Murray announced that he would be standing in the General Election, competing for the same Kent seat, Thanet South, as the Ukip leader Nigel Farage. With a manifesto including pledges to take the UK out of the solar system and revaluing the pound so that it's worth £1.10, Murray's stunt is attention-grabbing and very funny. But do comedians like Murray and the ever-more outspoken Russell Brand help or hinder democratic engagement?
Comics are citizens
From Kenny Everett at the Tory conference to Russell Brand on Newsnight, comic involvement in politics has added to the gaiety of the nation—and, sometimes, to the health of our politics too. After all, humour is as rational (and helpful?) a response to the collective challenges we face as statesmanlike solemnity. If you try and keep comedians and politics apart (many in both industries would love to), you get trivial comedy, and pompous politics. In fact, comedians are citizens too. How society's organised, the principles we live by, who gets to rule us: it'd be bizarre for them to care less about that than anyone else—or be less involved in it. Brian Logan, comedy critic for the GuardianGet stuck in
“Well the thing is, I am but an humble publican so can only comment at this from arm’s length. Recently we have seen the intervention of Mr Brand, in his guise as born again revolutionary. It’s fair to say that it’s been the funniest thing he’s done in ages, and my word he knows lots of adjectives. But comedians I’d say, in the country that has the greatest sense of humour in the world, a country that prides itself on being able to laugh at itself, have a solemn and serious duty to get stuck in.” The Pub Landlord, comedian and the Free United Kingdom Party candidate for South Thanet
Halfway there
Any interest you can generate in this election has to be a good thing. Registration and turnout levels can’t get much lower. If they did, we’d be in the throes of a crisis. What we need in the long term, though, are candidates who listen to what locals are saying and pass it up the policy-making tree so that we actually get some representation. While everyone says the stakes are high for this election, the type and the quality of candidates remains the same. Oliver Sidorzcuk, Policy Director at Bite the BallotWhat's the point?
Russell Brand—ill-judged comments voting aside—has successfully channelled the alienation and discontent that many young people feel about politics. But what exactly does Al Murray hope to achieve? He is unlikely to poll well enough to further split the anti-Farage vote, so his electoral impact will probably be negligible; therefore his decision to stand is likely born of either a desire to highlight Ukip's shortcomings, or to reignite a stuttering comedy career. Hopefully it is the former, but if not, his sudden appearance in the political sphere adds farce but will re-engage few. Sean Kippin, Managing Editor of Democratic Audit at the LSEMade you think!
One of the fundamental functions of comedy, quite apart from the creation of laughter, is to make us think, question and debate. Humour is the perfect tool to shine a light on apparent inequalities, skewed thinking or social injustice because it punctures pomposity and ridicules authority in a way which is both disarming and powerful. It also communicates to a population in a meaningful way that they can and want to engage with. Stupidity, ignorance and abuse of power should be mocked, should be held up to ridicule—it's a vital component of freedom of speech and one of the things first clamped down under repressive regimes. It is in many ways the sign of a healthy democracy. Comedians not only should but must continue to hold our politicians to account. Tim Arthur, CEO of Time Out GroupSerious laughs
I'm all for funny people standing for election as long as they're making a serious point. Al Murray is doing that by shining a light on a certain type of British bigotry, so I welcome his participation, even though I don't think people should vote for him. Politics is partly about communication and comedians are good at that. However, I have to confess I am a bit bored by "zany" candidates who infer that elections are all just a big laugh. If the result makes no difference to you, then you are very lucky. Minor candidates can affect the outcome and there a few things less funny than helping Cameron get back in. John O'Farrell, Author, comedy scriptwriter and former Labour candidateReader responses
@prospect_uk@almurray Have to assume the question is deliberately provocative. Everyone in democracies should get involved in politics.
— Alistair Shaw (@AllyShaw) January 16, 2015
@prospect_uk@almurray Well Nigel Farage is a comedian, they both have beer in common and Al is actually very well educated so why not?
— Mike Daly (@mike_daly1) January 16, 2015
