Politics & journalism have an insidious undercurrent which promotes conformity over truth which is what kept Russell Brand safe.

In 2010, I read a draft of the freshly written and first Harry Leslie Smith book, 1923.

After finishing the manuscript, I remarked tongue in cheek.

" Dad, If you could find Jesus or become a Tory by the end of this book," you would become a wealthy man." My dad never made those concessions for any of his works but along the way of his Harry's Last Stand political voyage he did make concession as that is what you do when you enter the harsh world of book publishing.

Book writing and marketing the finished product is a game requiring unhealthy collaborations with people of questionable ethics and motivations within journalism, politics and publishing.

There is much arse kissing, groupthink and knowing who to applaud; and who to hiss at to brand build- one's public persona.

When a publisher commissioned Harry's Last Stand- concessions were made by my father -to ensure acceptable sales. It was the business thing to do because the publisher paid an advance of almost £13k. That money meant my dad owed the publisher the deference to respect their marketing opinions.

Before publication, the publisher voiced mild concern over a few negative comments about Russell Brand in the manuscript. In the original manuscript, there were a few throwaway critical comments about Brand's recently published book "Revolution." My dad called him irresponsible and- that he lacked loyalty to left-wing causes.

As Brand was a superstar at the time with a program on BBC and a successful comedy career, the worry was these comments would alienate younger readers.

Those negative comments about Brand in Harry's Last Stand were deflavourised by mutual agreement

The publisher and those involved in the marketing of the book also hoped Brand would get wind of Harry Leslie Smith and begin to recommend him to his followers.

"Maybe, he will put Harry on the Trews," sort of shit.

Russell Brand didn't get wind of Harry or if he did, he didn't see it as anything that would improve his income stream. Life went on, except requests now for concessions were labelled as suggestions and started coming from all who believed they had played a part in guiding Harry Leslie Smith to his tenuous fame.

At the end of the Labour Party Conference, in 2014, the Guardian suggested Harry write a piece on how Ed Miliband was the PM to save the NHS.

After meeting Ed, my dad thought him weak, aloof and disconnected. He wanted Cameron gone as PM but concluded without a strong left wing in the party, Miliband would drift and then appease neoliberal centrism.

My dad understood, however, that not openly endorsing Miliband assured him no role in the upcoming election and probably a quick ride back into obscurity. So, he obliged. I don't think his original assessment was wrong on Miliband- because in 2023, he bent over backwards to enable Starmer's push to make Labour the competent conservative party.

Politics, journalism and popular culture have an insidious undercurrent which promotes conformity over truth.

Everyone within that ecosystem is a courtier, similar to a flunky in the court of Louis the 14th. Books, ideas, podcasts, pundits, and politicians groom and court each other in that fishbowl with arse-kissing, shit-talking and mutually beneficial cross-promotion. Often society's collective good is ignored for the ambition and personal gain of those in that fishbowl.

Self-preservation, ego and increasing personal income streams take the front seat, whilst preserving democracy is an afterthought.

My dad wasn't corrupted when he was briefly admitted to that fishbowl because he was in his 90s. He knew death was near for him and so made the least amount of concessions possible to remain in the game.

In his second year as a political personality, he stopped heeding marketing advice to go on influencer'' television programs if he thought they were bad for society or simply arseholes.

He refused to do a GMB interview with Piers Morgan despite protestations from his publisher that not doing it was bad for book sales.

"Fuck him and fuck them if they think I will be doing that."

As for screwing over Jeremy Corbyn many asked- but all were told "piss off."

Book writing, politics and journalism must be about more than the here and now. It has to be about creating a garden where integrity allows everything good in society to ripen and be harvested.

In 2014, Harry Leslie Smith knew Russell Brand was a fake. He understood Brand's character because he knew wealth and a desire to acquire more of it forfeits left-wing credibility.

Others didn't see it because fame is a Ponzi scheme. They believe Russell Brand would be good for their bottom lines or their careers and so rationalised their moral blindness like Germans in 1945, "We saw nothing and we didn't know."

We are always a few footsteps away from authoritarianism or even some form of Nazism consuming our society because we want to believe that rich populists can teach us how to be left-wing and fight the entitled. 

As always, thank you for reading my sub stack posts because your help is really NEEDED. Your subscriptions to Harry’s Last Stand keep the legacy of Harry Leslie Smith alive and me housed and it is always a scramble at the end of the month. So if you can join with a paid subscription which is just 3.50 a month or a yearly subscription or a gift subscription. I promise the content is good, relevant and thoughtful. Even sharing my posts helps the cause. Take Care, John