Lucy Powell has faced criticism after saying there had been no clear warning signs about Russell Brand before his widely publicised 2015 interview with Ed Miliband.
The Cabinet minister said she regretted helping arrange the publicity appearance for the then Labour leader ahead of the general election.
However, during a series of broadcast interviews, she argued that vetting the comedian would have been difficult because the “social media age” had not yet fully emerged.
Conservative critics dismissed that explanation, saying Brand’s “gross behaviour” had already been visible to the public by that point.
They also argued that Mr Miliband should answer questions about his decision to appear on Brand’s online programme The Trews while seeking to attract younger voters.
Ms Powell made the comments while appearing across broadcast studios on the morning after Brand was sentenced.
The Education Secretary, who served as vice-chairman of Labour’s 2015 election campaign, said: “It was a long time ago. Obviously, if I, Ed Miliband or anyone else involved at the time had understood that this was someone who was a sexual predator involved in these crimes, we would have acted differently.
“Like anyone who paid to see him perform, watched him on television, employed him or had dealings with him, we all look back with regret now that we know what we know today.”
Before the interview took place, Brand had already lost his BBC Radio 2 programme after leaving a series of obscene messages on actor Andrew Sachs’s answerphone concerning a relationship with his granddaughter.
Lucy Powell said she regretted helping arrange the controversial interview between Russell Brand and Ed Miliband before the 2015 election
Ed Miliband, then Labour leader, appeared on Brand’s online programme The Trews as he sought to connect with younger voters
He had also been dismissed by XFM after reading pornography on air, while his autobiography openly discussed his relationships with women.
Asked why she had helped organise the appearance, Ms Powell said the political and media landscape was very different at the time. “We were not living in the social media age, where you could quickly search for allegations or information about someone,” she said.
“If there had been any indication that we were dealing with a known sexual predator, of course nobody would have gone ahead.
“But he was a prominent public figure. People across Hollywood, the BBC and many other organisations had given him highly influential platforms.
“We did not know then. Perhaps it was a different era in which people did not feel able, or willing, to come forward.”
Brand, 51, was jailed for ten-and-a-half years after being convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three television and radio workers during his rise to international fame.
Ms Powell said the case should encourage victims to report abuse. “What I would say to women now is: come forward when these things happen to you,” she said.
“You will be supported, believed and taken seriously.
“If women had felt that way 15 or 20 years ago, he could have been stopped much sooner and there would have been fewer victims.”
Mr Miliband led Labour to a heavy defeat by the Conservatives in 2015 and is now Foreign Secretary.
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Critics have also highlighted a 2014 social media post by Andy Burnham, in which he urged Brand to “keep going” after the comedian faced criticism for renting his luxury London property from a company based in a tax haven.
The Prime Minister, then a Labour frontbencher, wrote: “Depressing to see media mission to discredit someone who stops playing their game & uses celebrity to help others. Keep going @rustyrockets.”
Challenged about the message on Friday, Mr Burnham said: “It was more than a decade ago. All I can say is that I had no idea of the full extent of what he was doing or what he would go on to do.
“His crimes are horrific. He has rightly been held to account, justice has been served for the victims and that is the correct outcome.
“People do not always know everything about public figures. What matters is that wrongdoing is exposed when it occurs.”
Laura Trott, the Conservative education spokesman, responded to Ms Powell’s interviews in a post on X.
She wrote: “Labour’s claim that ‘we didn’t know’ about Russell Brand’s behaviour in 2015 is not convincing.
Critics have pointed to Andy Burnham’s 2014 message urging Brand to “keep going” after the comedian faced criticism over his luxury London home
Conservative education spokesman Laura Trott criticised Ms Powell’s comments on X
“His obscene call to Andrew Sachs took place in 2008, and there were numerous public appearances in which his abusive attitude and treatment of women were plainly visible.
“Did people know the full extent of his conduct? No. But his views and behaviour towards women were vile and in the public domain.
“It is wrong that Lucy Powell is the only person being challenged. She worked for Ed Miliband.
“He should also be held accountable.
“The Prime Minister should have faced questions about his own judgement, including his 2014 message telling Brand to ‘keep going’ and calling efforts to discredit him ‘depressing’, despite Brand’s public record at the time.”
At a press conference in London, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she was “not someone who engages in hindsight analysis”.
She added: “If Ed Miliband were sitting in this chair, I am sure he would be quick to accuse us of guilt by association. But I do not know whether they understood the full extent of what Brand had done.
“Conservatives believe in the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty. He has now been convicted, and that is a testament to the bravery of the women who spent years trying to expose him, as well as the journalists who helped bring the allegations to light.
“I remember Ed Miliband pursuing Russell Brand everywhere.
“I find it embarrassing when Labour politicians constantly chase celebrity figures. We are supposed to be serious and mature, not seeking attention on Gogglebox or similar programmes. That is what people can expect from the Conservative Party.
“Labour can pursue celebrity status and TikTok attention. We will concentrate on getting Britain working again.”
