Miliband's spokesman calls Brand's crimes horrific
Ed MilibandForeign Secretary of the United Kingdom, in a statement from his spokesman
A spokesman for Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told the BBC that Brand had been found guilty of horrific crimes and that Miliband's sympathy was with the victims, and repeated Miliband's 2023 statement that he regretted being interviewed by Brand.
“These are horrific crimes that Russell Brand has been found guilty of and Ed's profound sympathy is with the victims.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Russell Brand denied nonconsensual sex; jury convicts him of rape and sexual assault
Russell Brand said his relationships during the period under scrutiny were consensual. A jury later convicted him of rape and three sexual assaults, while acquitting him on three other counts. Prosecutors described abuse of power; Megyn Kelly disputed the credibility of the account underlying the rape conviction.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
BBC News report that includes a statement from a spokesman for Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who was interviewed by Brand in 2015 as Labour leader.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
As Labour leader, Miliband was interviewed by Brand before the 2015 general election, and Brand then backed Labour.
After the quotation
The spokesman also quoted Miliband's 2023 remark that he would not have done the interview had he known of the allegations.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Brand's conduct toward the women in the case and his denial that any of his sexual encounters were nonconsensual. The statement calls the crimes horrific and offers sympathy to the victims, which condemns that conduct.
- Recorded on
- Published here
More from this case
Read the full casePowell calls the cross-examination of Brand's victims depressing and backs the judge on consent
“I found reading some of that incredibly sort of depressing. I thought we'd long gone past that sort of culture and that phase of things. ... And the judge's remarks were also incredibly powerful in sentencing: that it doesn't matter what you wear, how you behaved, how drunk you are, you know, you have the right to give your consent or not give your consent. And if it's not given, then that is rape and that is a sexual offence, pure and simple.”Read statement
Bear Grylls says justice has been served after Brand's conviction
“Brand's faith seemed genuine to me at the time when I was a guest at his private baptism. ... It is right that justice has now been served. I can't imagine how hard this time has been for the victims, the heroes of the day.”Read statement
Burnham says Brand has rightly been held to account for horrific crimes
“crimes are horrific, he's rightly been held to account, justice for the victims and that is the right course that's been taken here. ... Credit to the victims, huge credit, the courage that it's taken, but also the journalists who've exposed this.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Miliband's spokesman calls Brand's crimes horrific
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/8426-a-spokesman-for-foreign-secretary-ed-miliband-told
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Miliband's spokesman calls Brand's crimes horrific". First published: 2026-11-08. Last updated: 2026-11-08. https://disputeindex.com/events/8426-a-spokesman-for-foreign-secretary-ed-miliband-told