Russell Brand has attacked The Sun and its ageing proprietor Rupert Murdoch over the newspaper’s Wednesday front page that called the activist a hypocrite for… paying rent.
The tabloid alleged that Brand rents his London property from a company based in the British Virgin Isles, a recognised tax haven, and therefore the comedian was somehow a “hypocrite” for protesting on behalf of the low-income residents of the New Era Estate in Hoxton, East London. The comedian said via Twitter that the allegation would result in legal action.
“I just pay my rent to an estate agent like everyone else,” said Brand on his online news show The Trews, before lambasting the newspaper's owner over his own tax dealings.
'Found this spoon, Sir'
“Rupert Murdoch must be really confident in the area of tax… they’ve got some serious resources and they’ve run this massive thing [front page splash] and what they’ve come up with is his [Brand's] landlord doesn’t pay tax," said Brand. "That’s like the bit in the Life Of Brian where the Roman Garrison goes into the flat of the People’s Front of Judea and come back with one spoon.”
Brand goes on to skewer the octogenarian media mogul, who “managed to run up a tax bill over eleven years, saving £350 million by using totally legal tax loopholes”.
“He did this by using legal tax havens, so the law has got to change. I’m not saying these people are doing anything illegal, but it’s a disgrace that those things are legal.”
“If they call me a hypocrite for something my landlords does, what can I call him for something he does himself?”
Earlier on Wednesday, Twitter mocked the tired rag for its troubled logic, prompting the hashtag trend #TheSunLogic.
Journalist Owen Jones kicked things off:
Soon after, everyone jumped in...
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Even Brand got involved: