I once admired Russell Brand. But his grim trajectory shows us where politics is heading | George Monbiot

In an age of distortion, public figures have powerful tools and a responsibility. This is an object lesson in how that can go wrong

In 2014, the Guardian asked me to nominate my hero of the year. To some people's surprise, I chose Russell Brand. I loved the way he energised young people who had been alienated from politics. I claimed, perhaps hyperbolically, he was the best thing that has happened to the left in years" (in my defence, there wasn't, at the time, much competition).

Today, I can scarcely believe it's the same man. I've watched 50 of his recent videos, with growing incredulity. He appears to have switched from challenging injustice to conjuring phantoms. If, as I suspect it might, politics takes a very dark turn in the next few years, it will be partly as a result of people like Brand.

George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist

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