See Russell Brand And Nigel Farage Clash On Question Time

Russell Brand has taken on UKIP leader Nigel Farage in a tense televised debate on the BBC's Question Time.

Labelling the Eurosceptic party head "a pound shop Enoch Powell", the comedian and actor-turned activist took him to task for preying on peoples' fears and frustrations.

"I sometimes feel worried about you, Nigel Farage," he began. "The reason I feel worried is that I know a lot of people are frightened in our country.

"I know a lot of people are feeling afraid and frustrated. There is a sense that there is a corrupt group in our country using our resources, taking away our jobs, taking away our housing, not paying taxes, exploiting us. And there is!

"There is an economic (group) that this man's party is funded by, that this man comes from a background of working in the city."

And he went on to accuse Farage of misdirecting the blame for the economy's problems.

"There was an economic crisis in this country," he declared. "His mates in the city farted, Nigel Farage is pointing at immigrants and the disabled and holding his nose.

"Immigrants are not causing the economic problems and suffering that people are experiencing."

Brand also warned against cosy stereotypes of Farage as a wide boy.

"As much as any of us, I enjoy seeing Nigel Farage in a boozer with a pint... laughing off his latest scandals about breastfeeding or whatever.

"This man is not a cartoon character. He ain't Del Boy. He ain't Arthur Daley. He's a pound-shop Enoch Powell and we've got to watch him!"

For his part, Farage attempted to pin Brand down for not answering an audience member's question about immigration.

"This is called Question Time, this programme, and what happens is members of the audience ask questions and we're expected to answer them."

And the comic was also ticked off by Labour's Shadow Secretary of State for International Development Mary Creagh after he talked over Conservative MP Penny Mordaunt as they debated fireman's pensions.

"One of the things people really don't like is men talking over women," she told him.

To which he answered: "I apologise... I'm working on it."